The Greater Evil
by Hagunemnon
Summary: In his panic, Father Cornello tears a hole to another world using the Philosopher's Stone. The horror that is unleashed is beyond anything the Elric brothers could have possibly imagined.
1. A Fateful Accident

**The Greater Evil**

Chapter One: A Fateful Accident

Edward Elric, the Fullmetal Alchemist, stood near the altar of Leto, the Sun God. Before him, a panicked priest, Father Cornello, stood, clutching his left hand.

"This is the last time I'm gonna ask, Cornello," Ed said directly. "Hand over the Philosopher's Stone!"

"Never!" Father Cornello cried defiantly. "I will never give it to the likes of you!"

"Please," Alphonse Elric said as he stood beside his brother. "We just want to make things right again."

Panicking, Father Cornello drove as much power as he could into his ring, desperately begging it for anything…bring anything it could to defeat these brats that were trying to foil his plan! The ring throbbed in his hand and, behind him, a massive, black ellipse formed, reaching from the floor all the way to the top of the church thirty meters above. Ed and Al stared at the strange, dark…shape that seemed to throb with nascent power. The gem on Cornello's ring burst, and the dark ellipse burst into life, an image appearing inside its borders: a rolling, green field with trees in the distant background. Looking expectantly at the portal, the priest's eyes widened as a massive hand reached from the outer edges of the portal.

Ed and Al watched in horror as a giant humanoid, easily twenty meters in size stepped through the gateway. Its skin looked…odd, as if it were made of some, strange, porous approximation of human flesh. That, however, was secondary to the giant's most disturbing feature: its face was contorted into a wide, sickening grimace, its eyes narrowed to the point of being barely visible. The giant looked down at the happy-looking Cornello and stooped down. For a moment, it looked as if it was about to greet its master, but that notion was disabused as the giant picked up Cornello as if he were a particularly ripe fruit. Cornello let out a horrible scream as the giant opened its vast maw and gently placed the protesting man inside as if he were a delicacy. His body barely halfway inside the giant's mouth, the beast chomped down on Cornello with incredible force, sending his upper half down to the ground in front of the horrified brothers. The creature swallowed the rest with obvious relish, then turned to face Ed and Al and began lumbering towards them.

"Al, run!" Ed screamed, panic driving the adrenaline into his blood like a speeding train. Looking back, Ed's eyes widened like saucers. "Oh god," he whispered.

"What is it, brother?" Al asked, scared as he looked back. What he saw chilled the soul bonded to armour: even more giant monstrosities were beginning to pour out of the portal. They varied in size, but even the smallest one that Al could make out was easily five times taller than a man. Worse than their sudden appearance was what they were doing: the giants were lumbering toward the large, wooden doors at the front of the church. A few moments later, before they rounded the first corner, a deafening crash, a mixture of the sound of splintering wood and crumbling stone, filled the air. The giants had forced down the entire front third of the church and were now ambling into the streets of Liore.

"Brother!" Al yelled. "They're going into the city!"

"We have to stop them!" Ed said as they continued to run. Pausing, Ed clasped his hands together and placed them on the nearest wall, transmuting an exit to the outside. "Let's go!"

What greeted the brothers was something out of a horror story: the giants were lumbering down the streets of Liore, which were already awash with a veritable sea of blood. Limbs and partial bodies were strewn around like some sickening form of confetti. It was then that the screams started to register. The brothers saw a giant pick up a girl who couldn't have been more than eight, and clumsily place it on its molars. It chomped down, reducing the frightened girl to a spray of blood and torn flesh.

"Ed, Al!" someone cried from a nearby street: Rose. "Oh god! WHAT HAPPENED?!"

"Cornello," Ed begun in a hurry, trying to formulate a plan to stop the advancing giants. "He did something with his Philosopher's Stone a portal opened…he brought those THINGS here!"

"Where's the holy father?" Rose demanded, her eyes widened in panic.

"They…" Ed bent over and regurgitated what he'd eaten that day at the memory. "Rose, the first giant that came through…it ate Cornello."

"Oh god!" Rose said in a shocked, horrified voice. "What do we do now?"

"I'm trying to think of something!" Ed yelled in panic. "Al, do you have anything?"

"What about a large wall, brother?" Al said quickly.

"It's worth a shot," Ed said, determined. "Rose, get as many people out of here as you can, we're going to try and contain those things!"

"Right!" Rose said, running off to begin the evacuation.

Fear-induced adrenaline pushing him, Ed ran as fast as he could with his brother trailing not far behind, attempting to get just far enough ahead of the man-eating monsters to transmute a wall to contain them. Stopping just a few dozen meters away from the main body of the horde, Ed drove all the alchemical energy he could into his hands, clasping them and throwing them down on the cobbled street below. A wall, easily twenty meters high, fifty meters long, and five meters thick sprang up, creating a giant dip in the ground on the outside edge. The giants that met the wall began ambling around it, trying to find a way around to more prey.

"Al," Ed said as fast as he could. "We need to split up. You take the left side, I'll take the right. Keep these things pinned in!"

"On it, brother," Al said, nodding, as he ran off.

Screams filling the air, Ed silently admonished himself. He didn't know if he could kill these things, or distract them long enough to get people out of the area he and his brother were walling off…in the back of his mind, Ed realized he may well be dooming the people inside to a grisly death. He hated the idea of sacrificing people, even if it saved the lives of a multitude of others. Four tense hours later, Ed and Al met back up on the opposite side of town from where they'd started, their work complete. They could already hear the sound of massive hands scratching at the wall.

"Do you think it'll hold, brother?" Al asked, frightened.

"I don't know, Al," Ed admitted. "It'll…it'll buy us time, at least, to get people out of here."

"What about the people inside?" Al continued in a quiet voice.

"I don't know how we'd get them out," Ed admitted in a sick tone.

"We could try making a tunnel small enough for us to fit through, but not enough for those things to break out," Al said in little more than a whisper.

"It's an idea," Ed agreed, nodding. "It'll be worth it if we can save even just one person."

The brothers Elric ran to a section of wall that didn't have the spine-tingling sound of hands raggedly scrabbling at stone. Using their alchemy, they forged a small tunnel beneath the wall and ran through, knowing that their time was short. Finding a small group of people huddled together, Ed immediately sprang into action.

"Everyone, listen up," he yelled urgently. "There's a tunnel behind us, use it to get out of here! Run as fast as you can, don't waste any time! Go!"

The panicked mob stampeded toward the tunnel, and the brothers ran further along the wall they'd made, searching for more groups of people still alive. Where they could, they pushed their power, making more small tunnels where they could to speed up the evacuation. As they were evacuating another group of frightened townsfolk, a deep rumbling came rushing towards them. Looking behind them at the source of the increasingly loud sound, Ed and Al saw a massive giant, its eyes glassily staring ahead of it, its mouth lolling open mindlessly, as it charged forward in an awkward gait. Thinking as quickly as his stunned mind was able, Ed threw his hands to the ground, transmuting a wall ahead of the accelerating giant. Oblivious to the stone blocking its path, the giant charged through the low wall, tripping and falling on its face. The brothers were about to let out a sigh of relief when they noticed something flailing in its massive paw, a person had gotten caught by the giant in its tumble.

"No you don't!" Ed snarled, clasping his hands and throwing them down on the ground once again, this time transmuting a massive spike that shoved itself through the giant's head. The monstrous creature flailed, releasing its captive who ran as fast as he could toward the exit. It halted for a moment and Alphonse was about to congratulate his brother on his victory when the giant's massive arms pushed itself up, lifting its head from the spike. Ed and Al watched in shock as the giant's head rebuilt itself before their very eyes. It got back on its feet and began its charge. Before the brothers could react, it crashed headlong into the wall, stumbling back and leaving a large dent. Then, it charged again, this time breaking through the barrier, sending a crescendo of sound out as the wall crumbled.

"What the hell _are these things?!_ " Ed demanded. "It was impaled through the _head_! What kind of monster survives something like that?!"

"We need to repair the wall!" Alphonse cried, seeing the other giants making their way to the hole.

Just then, another crash, this one further away, sounded…followed soon after by another, then another.

"Damn it!" Ed yelled angrily. "They're breaking through! We can't keep this up, they'll wear us out before we find a way to kill them!"

As if on cue, Rose appeared behind the brothers, panting in exhaustion. "We've evacuated almost everyone," she said hurriedly. "The train's cars are full to bursting."

"Rose," Ed said in a tone of despair. "Take your people and go. I'll hold them off as long as I can, give you time to get out of here!"

"Brother, no!" Alphonse cried, realizing what his brother was consigning himself to.

"Now's not the time, Al!" Ed said desperately.

"You're right," Al replied calmly. As Ed turned around, Alphonse knocked his brother unconscious with a blow to the neck. "We've done all we can here, Rose," he said, holding his brother in his arms. "We need to go, now."

"Alphonse," Rose began, before hearing his silent sobs ringing in his hollow armour. "Follow me."

Rose led Alphonse through the tunnel he and his brother had created, peripherally aware of the crowd of people running for their lives, some running straight into the vast, forbidding desert surrounding the city. Boarding the train just as it was starting to move, Alphonse Elric watched on as the larger giants peeked their heads over the buildings, occasionally reaching in, pulling out their terrified, protesting residents, and consuming them. As the train began to move, Alphonse cried, knowing how many people he'd just doomed to either die by the man-eating giants or to the sunbaked desert. He understood that he'd saved as many as he could, but the train's engines only just drowned out the screams still coming from the town of Liore.

"Al," Rose said as they rode, barely holding herself back from screaming at the horror she'd witnessed. "Please, tell me," she looked at Al with pleading eyes before screaming in terror, "TELL ME WE DID THE RIGHT THING!"

"We saved as many people as we could, Rose," Al responded, his voice quavering. "Brother impaled one of those giants through the head…it just wrenched itself free and regrew all the damage it'd taken. I don't know how we're supposed to kill those things…"

"God," Rose replied, covering her hands with her mouth. "You mean they're immortal?"

"I don't know, Rose," Alphonse said with a heavy sigh. "I doubt anything is truly immortal, but those…things, they're a lot more durable than they look. This train is heading to Central, right?"

Rose nodded. "Yeah, that's what the driver said," she affirmed.

"We'll go to the military HQ when we arrive, then," Alphonse said in a determined voice. "We need to let Colonel Mustang know about what's happened here."

The rest of the train ride was filled with a sombre, yet terrified silence. Alphonse knew his brother would be angry with him, but…they'd made a promise. He couldn't let Ed go on a suicide mission, no matter how noble. For his part, Ed was obviously far more exhausted than he'd let on, as he slept the entire way to Central. Once the train came to a halt, though, Edward Elric was wide awake, and had a bone to pick with his younger brother.

"What the hell, Al?" Ed demanded angrily as they stepped off the train onto the platform. "I could've saved more people! Bought more time! Found a way to kill those damn things!"

"Ed!" Al barked, getting his brother's attention. "You know as well as I what would've been more likely to happen. Chances are, you'd have ended up in the stomach of one of those damned giants! I can't…no, I _refuse_ to let you kill yourself!"

"I'm sorry, Al," Ed said sadly after a moment's silence as the brothers and Rose walked from out on to the street toward Central HQ. "You're right. It's just…those things…what the hell was the preacher thinking, bringing them here?!"

"I don't think it was intentional," Alphonse replied. "I think he was just desperate and the Stone responded."

"Maybe we shouldn't have pushed him so far," Ed said sadly as they opened the doors to the military headquarters. "If we hadn't…"

"It isn't our fault, brother," Al said kindly as they walked through the halls toward Mustang's office. "In the end, the Stone was responding to him. If he hadn't been so desperate to keep his power, this wouldn't have happened in the first place."

"I guess you're right," Ed sighed, knocking on Colonel Mustang's door.

"Come in," a voice called from inside the room. "Ed, I'm glad you got a girlfriend, but-"

Colonel Roy Mustang, Flame Alchemist, looked at the young woman's face…at Edward's face, and immediately knew something had gone horribly wrong during his mission to Liore. Those looks reminded him of the looks some of the soldiers had on their faces after the Ishvalan Extermination.

"What happened, Fullmetal?" Colonel Mustang asked sympathetically.

"We went to Liore to search for the Philosopher's Stone," Ed began in a sick voice. "Al and I found out it was in the hands of the priest there, Father Cornello. We cornered him about it, and…and…"

Roy Mustang watched as Ed's eyes grew wide with horror and retched violently on to the carpet of his office. Normally, he'd be put out about having to now need to clean his carpet, but something about Ed's reaction worried the Flame Alchemist immensely.

"The Stone was real," Alphonse continued for his brother. "Cornello was trying to use his religious followers to conduct a coup against the government. He got desperate when we demanded he give up the Stone, and something happened. I don't know how to explain it other than a…portal opened."

"A portal?" Mustang asked incredulously. "What are you talking about?"

"We don't know exactly where it went to," Al replied. "But…but…giant, humanoid _things_ came out of it, some had to have been at least twenty meters tall. One of the giants ate Father Cornello. Then, they…they started rampaging through the city, eating everyone they could find."

"We tried to contain them," Ed picked up after catching his breath. "Al and I made a huge wall and, for a while, it worked. But, they broke through it. Colonel Mustang," Ed continued in a serious voice. "I impaled one of the giants through the head. It picked itself up, and…regrew the massive hole I'd put in it."

"You have got to be joking," Colonel Mustang said in disbelief. Just then, Maes Hughes burst through the door with an urgent look on his face.

"Roy, we've got a huge problem," Hughes said quickly. "We just now got reports of a massive amount of refugees from Liore. Some of them are screaming about man-eating giants pouring out of the church. Oh," he stumbled, seeing Ed, Al, and Rose sitting in the room. "I didn't know you were here, Fullmetal."

"Shit," Mustang said angrily, lowering his head. "I guess you weren't exaggerating, then, Ed."

"You were there, Ed?" Hughes asked in shock. "Some of those refugees that I saw…it was a miracle that they made it out of the city alive."

"You saved a lot of people, Fullmetal," Mustang said reassuringly to the young state alchemist. "Once this is all over, I'll see that you all get commendations for courage. Hughes, is the Fuhrer available?"

"I think he is," Hughes said, scratching his chin.

"Good," Mustang said, getting up. "I'm sorry to leave so abruptly, boys, but the Fuhrer needs to know about this immediately. Hughes," he continued quietly to his old friend. "Take care of them. From what they told me, these three have been through hell, today."

"You got it, Roy," Hughes responded seriously. "I'd hate to see what kind of things can make a boy that went through the things he's seen vomit."

"You and me both," Mustang said, exiting the room.

"Do you guys need some time?" Hughes said gently, walking over to the Elric brothers and their guest. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Just see to it that the refugees are taken care of," Ed responded in a hoarse voice. "They need it more than me."

"I'll volunteer to help," Rose said in a quiet voice. "I'll do whatever I can."

"I'm sure they'll appreciate it," Hughes said kindly, placing a hand on the girl's shoulder. "What's your name, if you don't mind me asking?"

"It's Rose," she said, smiling a little at the kind officer.

"Well then, Rose," Hughes said. "I think you'd be invaluable in helping to coordinate the relief efforts. You know those people better than we do, and your expertise would no doubt come in handy."

"Thank you, Mr. Hughes," Rose said with a faint smile as she got up from her seat.

"Are you boys sure you don't need anything?" Hughes said, turning toward the Elric brothers.

"Thanks," Al said quietly. "But I'm sure you have a lot of work to do. If we need anything, I'm sure Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong can help us."

"Did someone mention my name?" Armstrong said loudly, bursting through the door.

"I'll leave you three alone," Hughes said, laughing as he led Rose away.

"Dear Edward," Armstrong said in his normal, boisterous manner as he ripped off his shirt. "Allow my perfectly sculpted physique to lift your spirits and INSPIRE YOU!"

"As much as we appreciate it," Ed said weakly. "I…don't really think now is the time, Lieutenant Colonel."

"Truly, the situation must be grave," Armstrong said, hand on his chin. "If my physique fails to elicit a reaction. What happened, Edward Elric?"

Repetition did not make telling the story any easier. Relating the panic-driven evacuation, and later retreat, from Liore in the face of nigh-unkillable, man-eating giants had the blonde boy nearly in tears by the end. Alex Louis Armstrong, normally an unflappably boisterous individual was shocked to the point of horrified silence.

"You boys," he said in a quiet tone as he slowly embraced the brothers. "No one should have to witness such horror, let alone ones so young. I…apologize for my earlier insensitivity, it was unbecoming of one of the Armstrong line. Still," he continued, a sniffle escaping his nose. "You managed to save a great deal of people, something people with three times your experience would have great difficulty doing. The gallantry you boys have shown humbles me."

"Ed, Al," Colonel Mustang said, entering the room. "The Fuhrer is requesting your presence as soon as possible to discuss the Liore situation."

"We'll be there right away, Colonel," Edward said, getting up. "Excuse us, Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong."

"Of course," Armstrong said easily.

"I don't think I need to tell you boys," Mustang said as they walked to the Fuhrer's office. "That the Fuhrer is as disturbed as the rest of us at these reports."

"Can't say I'm surprised," Edward said in a sick voice as they entered the Fuhrer's office.

"Edward, Alphonse," Fuhrer King Bradley said in his normal, kindly voice. "Sit, please. I know that what you've seen won't be easy to relate again, but we desperately need to know what we're dealing with, any information you could give us would be invaluable."

"I guess I'll…start with how they look," Edward said hesitantly. "They seemed to vary a lot in size, but even the smallest we saw were easily five meters in height. They look like malformed, gigantic versions of men and their skin is…strange. From far away, it looks human enough, but up close it looks, I dunno…just _off_ , somehow. They have human-looking faces and hair."

"How tall was the biggest you've seen?" King Bradley asked.

"Twenty meters, maybe more," Ed answered simply. "Even the slow ones move faster than you'd expect from something that big, one we saw ran extremely fast, we barely had time to get a stumbling block under its feet. Fuhrer," Ed continued in a much darker tone. "These giants, whatever they are, they're incredibly strong. I've seen them break through windows like paper and tear down houses like sandcastles. Al and I put up a wall, twenty meters high and five meters thick, around where the giants were coming from. They destroyed it in a matter of minutes."

"Five meters, you say?" King Bradley asked, shocked. "Of solid stone?"

"Of solid stone," Ed confirmed. "They have some kind of regenerative power I'm sure Mustang's already told you about. Other than maybe full-body incineration, I don't know how we'll be able to kill these things, or even contain them."

"Were they moving out of the town the time when you evacuated?" King Bradley asked seriously.

"They were, yes sir," Al responded.

"Sir, given the time it takes a train to get from here to Liore," Mustang said, looking at a map of Amestris. "They could well be halfway to either Postarim or Dar Osh. We need to send word to our forces there, warn them so they can be ready, should they arrive."

"I'll make the necessary arrangements when our meeting is complete," King Bradley said, nodding. "I'll also warn the garrison at Emell to be ready to send reinforcements, if necessary."

"Sir," Ed began urgently. "Make sure to tell the men to stay well away from these things. If they grab you, it's almost certainly over, they will not hesitate to eat anything that gets within reach."

"Duly noted, Elric," King Bradley replied gravely. "Is there any other intelligence you can share?"

"None that we're aware of, sir," Edward said.

"Very well," King Bradley said, nodding. "Edward, Alphonse, I'm sending you, Mustang, and his subordinates to Emell. You don't have enough time to make it to Postarim or Dar Osh, but your firsthand experience would be useful to those providing backup."

"Yes sir!" Edward said, saluting.

"Meeting is adjourned gentlemen," King Bradley said, standing up. "You boys have done well getting this information to me as quickly as you could, as well as helping to save many lives with your well-planned evacuation and attempts at containment. In recognition of your bravery above and beyond the call of duty, I hereby promote you, Edward Elric to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. As for you, Alphonse Elric," King Bradley continued, pulling two pins from his coat, handing one to Ed and the other to Al. "I hereby bestow upon you the Amestris Medal of Gallantry. Dismissed!"

Edward and Alphonse gave the Fuhrer one last salute before leaving his office. Following Colonel Mustang, they gathered the Flame Alchemists closest friends: Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong, First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye, along with Jean Havoc, Vato Falman, and Kain Fuery. Colonel Mustang briefed the coterie on their assignment, most of them (minus Armstrong and Hawkeye) looked visibly shaken. However, they steeled themselves and made their way to the train station where they boarded quietly, bound for Emell. The Elric brothers were less than willing to face the giants again, but they quashed their fear, focusing on what they needed to do to stop this incursion from becoming an even greater disaster than it already had been. Hopefully, the giants would be stopped before all hell broke loose. Hopefully…

 **Author's Notes**

I know, I've got more stories than should be legally allowed, but I just couldn't pass this one up, once I got the idea for it; it just wouldn't leave me alone! For some perverse reason, I actually enjoy writing this a _lot_. Something about horror just…works with me, for some reason. This won't stop me from updating The Bardock Effect or TPA. Honestly, I work best when I have a few project I can rotate since it keeps things from getting stale. Doesn't hurt that this one is going to be a LOT different from my other two stories currently up. Well, that's about it, for now. I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Two of _The Greater Evil_ , Advance of Giants! Take care!


	2. Advance of Giants

**The Greater Evil**

Chapter Two: Advance of Giants

Edward Elric and his brother, along with Colonel Mustang and his most trusted allies, arrived in Emell several hours after their departure from Central. Thankfully, due to the high priority of the mission, as well as direct orders from the Fuhrer, the train arrived at the station a full hour ahead of schedule. A military transport was waiting for them and they entered without a word being said between them, remaining silent during the five minutes it took to get them to the Emell garrison.

"Colonel Mustang," a young-looking soldier barked, saluting the group as they entered the building. "Colonel Greene is waiting for you in his office on the third floor, I'll escort you and your contingent there."

"Much appreciated, soldier," Colonel Mustang said formally before they were led to a rather large, given the circumstances, and comfortable-looking office.

"Colonel Mustang," a tall, yet aged gentleman with short-cropped, silver hair and an outcropping of unshaven stubble said as he shook the Flame Alchemist's hand. "I wish we were meeting under more pleasant circumstances."

"Likewise," Mustang replied. "Have you been briefed on the situation?"

"Indeed I have," Colonel Greene said, motioning the group to take a seat as he closed the door behind them. "Though General Hakuro didn't divulge exactly _what_ enemy we are to be expecting."

"I don't know how to tell you this," Mustang began in a serious tone. "So I'll just tell it to you straight: the enemy we face are giants. Man-eating giants."

"Surely, you must be joking," Colonel Greene said, alarmed.

"I'm afraid not," Mustang said with a heavy sigh before motioning to Edward. "Ed here, along with his brother, saw them when they were investigating a local priest in the town of Liore. He used some unknown kind of alchemy to open a doorway to…somewhere else. Were it not for the actions of these two boys, as well as a local friend of theirs who opted to stay in Central and coordinate refugee relief efforts, we might not have gotten any information at all, and thousands would have been eaten alive."

"You aren't joking," Colonel Greene said in a sick voice. "You…wouldn't joke like this, not with that look you've got. How many should Dar Osh and Postarim expect?"

"I don't know," Ed admitted in a stricken voice. "There didn't seem to be any end to them, once they started coming. At first, it was just a few, maybe a dozen, but within minutes, there were at least a hundred of them."

Before Colonel Greene could process what he'd heard, a panicked-looking private burst into his office.

"You'd better have a good reason for barging in like this," Colonel Greene said threateningly.

"My apologies, sir," the private said quickly. "But, we just got word from Postarim. We…couldn't make out much, but from what we gathered, the town has been overrun. Casualties are estimated at eighty percent, maybe higher."

"Eighty percent?!" Colonel Greene yelled, his composure forgotten.

"Yes sir," the private confirmed. "The person that answered their call…according to them, it was difficult to make out what the people on the other end were saying. There was…there was too much screaming."

"Damn it," Colonel Greene ground out angrily. "They're ahead of schedule. Any word from Dar Osh?"

"None yet, sir," the private responded. "We haven't been able to contact them since the call from Postarim."

"There were over a hundred soldiers in Postarim," Colonel Greene said mournfully. "Were there any enemy casualties reported?"

"None, sir," the private said. "Before we lost contact, the person on the other end said that the things they were fighting were unaffected by bullets. Explosives were only marginally more effective, only temporarily disabling them until…until the damaged parts were regrown."

"How quickly could we get reinforcements to Postarim and Dar Osh?" Colonel Greene asked hesitantly.

"Sir," the private said quietly. "I don't think we should send people to Postarim…if what we learned is true, what little of our forces remain are in a panicked retreat. We should expect wounded within six hours."

"Very well," Colonel Greene said, nodding. "We'll make arrangements to care for them. What of Dar Osh?"

"I'd recommend sending someone to scout out the area, first," Mustang cut in. "For all we know, the town has been obliterated, and we don't want to send a full contingent of troops into…something like that."

"Good idea, Mustang," Colonel Greene replied, nodding toward the private. "Send word: prepare for arriving wounded and send a scouting team of no more than five soldiers to discern the condition of things in Dar Osh. Dismissed!"

"Yes sir!" the private barked, saluting, before he quickly left the room.

"Damn," Colonel Greene spat as the door closed. "They're moving faster than we expected. For them to wipe out most of a town in such a short time…the hell are we fighting?"

"Your guess is as good as ours, sir," Ed said hoarsely. "Is there…is there any way we can help prepare the defenses here? If I had to guess, I'd say the giants are going to move on to this place, next. They seem to be drawn to…to places with lots of people."

"General Hakuro told me that you constructed a wall in Liore," Colonel Greene responded, nodding towards the Elric brothers. "Could you do the same thing here?"

"We could," Ed confirmed. "But, they broke through the one we made in Liore, and that was five solid meters of stone."

"Double it, then," Colonel Greene said simply. "We have at least _some_ time before the giants get here. By our estimation, they move faster than most people run, but not as fast as a car, so we can expect them within…eight hours, conservatively."

"To wall off the entire city?" Edward replied hesitantly. "With a ten meter thick wall? I'm sorry, sir, but Al and I would need more time than that."

"We have a few local alchemists we could conscript to help with the work," Colonel Greene responded. "Plus, I'm sure Colonel Mustang here would be glad to help with your efforts."

"It might not be my area of expertise," Mustang admitted. "But, I'll do what I can."

"Excellent," Colonel Greene said, nodding. "Just in case, I'll send orders to prepare to evacuate the civilians from the area. If worse comes to worst, I want to keep casualties to an absolute minimum. Dismissed!"

"Understood, Colonel," Ed said, saluting.

As they walked from Colonel Greene's office, Ed looked up to Mustang, seeing the worried look on his face.

"Colonel Mustang," Ed began as they walked. "Be honest. How do you feel about this situation?"

"Bad, Fullmetal," Mustang said, running a hand down his face. "The garrison here does have a lot of soldiers to defend the city. But…those things took out one, maybe even two, towns in just a couple of hours with no casualties of their own. Fighting an enemy we don't understand is going to cost us. A lot."

"You're right," Ed said after they met up with Mustang's coterie and the Colonel briefed them on the plans for the defense of Emell. "You think there's a chance we could capture one alive? Encase it in something so we can transport it and learn how these things operate?"

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea, Edward," Armstrong said in a serious tone. "If there's something we could transmute into chains, preferably steel, we could potentially capture one of the smaller ones. I'm loath to experiment on living beings," Armstrong added, lowering his head. "But, I agree that we need to know what we're up against."

"I'm curious," Havoc interjected. "As to where, exactly, the portal you boys described goes to. Maybe it isn't just a world of giants…maybe there are people there that know more about them than we do."

Mustang's eyes widened. "I didn't think about that, Havoc," he said in a hoarse whisper. "You're absolutely right, though. We can't just assume that, wherever they come from, that they're the only beings there. If we could get around or through them, we could send a small force through the portal and maybe find some people that could help us fight these damn things. I need to talk to Colonel Greene," he added in a hurried tone. "Fullmetal, you're in charge while I'm gone. Keep with the plan to wall off the city until further notice, understood?"

"Understood!" Ed said, saluting Mustang as he stalked off.

"Brother," Al started. "Where should we begin walling this place off?"

"The giants are coming from the Postarim, correct?" Hawkeye replied. "Walling off the east side first would be our best bet."

"Agreed," Ed said as they left the garrison. "Al and I will work on the eastern side of the city. Armstrong," he continued, turning toward the burly man. "I think it'd be best if you worked on the southeast side of town. If Dar Osh has really fallen, then they'll be coming from there, first, too. Hawkeye, I'll leave you in charge of coordinating the alchemists Colonel Greene and his men conscript. Make sure they know how big the wall has to be, we don't want any weak spots!"

"Understood, Fullmetal," Riza said, saluting the young man. "Good luck, boys."

"And to you," Al said, bowing slightly.

"What do the rest of us do?" Havoc asked, speaking for the remaining soldiers in their group as Hawkeye and Armstrong left to their assigned tasks.

"Provide backup where needed," Ed said after a moment. "We can't assume that they'll operate on our time table. If worse comes to worst, we'll need you to hold them off while we get the defenses in place. For now, split up and cover Armstrong as well as Al and I."

"Sounds like a plan," Havoc replied, nodding in approval.

Fuery and Falman went to meet Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong before the Strong Arm Alchemist went to the southeast part of town, and Havoc, after securing a car, drove Ed and Al to the eastern edge of town. Working as quickly as they could, the brothers began making a huge wall, only allowing just enough space for a car or two to get past. Some of the smaller giants could possibly squeeze through, but if it came to that, Ed was sure that he and his brother could seal them inside, closing the gap. Since the evacuation was exiting out the western side of the city, along the train lines and road leading to East City, there wasn't as great a need for handling heavy traffic volume. Even then, once the evacuation was done, certain travel lanes could be sealed off to shore up any weak spots.

"Edward, Alphonse," a familiar voice called an hour later, as the Elric brothers were working their way toward Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong.

"What's up, Mustang?" Ed asked, a bit tired from exertion.

"Colonel Greene didn't like our idea," Mustang said with a tinge of anger in his voice. "He said it was suicide, but I still think it'd give us a tactical advantage."

"I get the feeling," Ed said casually. "That this is going to be one of those times when you go off and do your own thing, anyway."

"You're right," Mustang said, nodding. "When the fight's over here, one way or the other, you boys, as well as me and my soldiers, will go around the main body of the giants. I studied a map of the layout of Liore before I came here: if we go around the east side, we'll end up almost on top of the church. Since Xerxes is nothing but desert, I don't think there'd be that many giants, if any, to contend with, giving us a clear line to the portal."

"Did the Fuhrer sign off on this?" Ed asked, finishing another section of wall.

"No, this is strictly off the books," Mustang admitted. "This is a critical opportunity, and the Fuhrer is likely to choose the advice of his generals over us, no matter how right we are. Letting a potential advantage like this slip because some stuffed suit is too afraid to take any risks doesn't sit well with me."

"I don't know how I feel about…going back there," Ed said in a sick tone. "But, if it'll help us put a stop to these things, I'll do it."

"I don't say this often," Mustang began in a solemn voice. "But you have to be some of the bravest kids I've ever known."

"Thank you," Alphonse said with gratitude. "Colonel Mustang."

"Now," Mustang said, clapping and looking toward his car. "If you don't mind, I have to inform the rest of my troops what the plan is. Let's hope we come out of this one victorious, boys."

"Let's get back to work, then, Al," Ed said, turning toward his brother.

"We'll get through this, brother," Al said as they walked to the next section of wall they were to complete. "And we'll beat those things."

"I hope you're right, Al," Ed said in a grim tone. "We're assuming they won't go around us to another city…"

"At least the civilians will all be evacuated by the time they get here," Al said reassuringly.

It took the rest of the day, but the city was soon sealed tight, the civilians evacuated with the military claiming an "unknown enemy" was bearing down on them. Trains and cars were prepared should the worst happen, and what few weak points existed in the wall, mostly those there due to necessity during the evacuation, were shored up by the alchemists the military had conscripted. Grim news came when the scouts arrived shortly after the tattered remains of the Postarim forces: Dar Osh had been utterly annihilated, the town little more than a sea of blood and corpses. Military and civilian deaths were estimated to be almost 100,000. One hundred thousand people, gone in less than a day. That figure alone was enough to strike fear into the Emell garrison. Alas, it was bolstered by the state many of the soldiers returned in…some were missing limbs, many had almost completely lost their minds. Honestly, Ed couldn't blame them. The things he saw those giants do in Liore…it'd drive most men to insanity. Their bodies mended to the extent the medics were able, the Postarim soldiers were taken by military transport to New Optian, where they would receive proper treatment; Colonel Greene had made the decision, stating that, given the situation, the garrison's soldiers needed all the medical supplies they could get their hands on, if things got bad.

"I see, thank you," Mustang said, nodding as a soldier ran down the wall, carrying a sheaf of paper in his hands. "That was a messenger from the scouts we sent out, boys," he said, turning toward the Elric brothers. "The giants will be here any minute now. Are you ready?"

"No," Ed said honestly, shaking his head. "I'd hate to meet the kind of guy that _is_ ready for this sort of thing."

"Well said, Fullmetal," Mustang said with a hint of warmth. "Just remember the plan."

"I won't forget," Ed said before turning to his left, his eyes widening as he saw a faint, yet familiar outline. "They're here."

"You weren't kidding, Fullmetal," Mustang said in a shocked voice as the giants came into view. "They really _are_ giants. God help us," he whispered before turning to his right, facing the men that were on the wall with them, including his own personal retinue. "Listen up!" he barked. "The foes we will be facing are relentless! Some careless people might even call them unstoppable, but we know better! We _will_ stop them, _this_ is the line in the sand! FOR LIORE!"

"For Liore!" the soldiers yelled.

"I don't want to see a single cold rifle, you hear me?!" Mustang yelled. "If you can't cripple their limbs, aim for the eyes! Get ready! This is it! FOR POSTARIM, FOR DAR OSH!"

"For Postarim!" the soldiers screamed in fury. "For Dar Osh!"

"LET'S SHOW THESE BASTARDS WHAT WE'RE MADE OF!" Mustang finished in a booming voice, turning back to face the giants bearing down on the city.

Within minutes, the sky was set ablaze with the light of over a dozen rifles, their shots ringing in the sky in a deafening, thunderous crescendo. Steeling himself, filling his heart with rage at the multitude of people lost to these behemoths, Roy Mustang raised his hands. In his periphery, he saw a few soldiers eyeing him. A look of hatred on his face, the Flame Alchemist snapped his fingers, and a giant was engulfed in flames, its skin reduced to a bubbling, greasy ooze as its skeleton fell to the ground, smoldering. Targeting a group of smaller giants, Mustang unleashed the full fury of his power upon the murderous horde. Many people thought of State Alchemists as living artillery, and in this moment, Colonel Roy Mustang was more than living up to the reputation, striking down a dozen giants at once by igniting their marrow, causing their bones to explode.

A mere two minutes into the battle, Roy Mustang saw why Edward and Alphonse so feared these monstrosities. The Flame Alchemist looked on in horror as the giants, some little more than blackened, skeletal remains, began to regrow their flesh and sinew, their bodies returning to their original, horrifyingly grotesque forms. However, some seemed to stay down…those whose skeletons he'd blown to pieces had yet to return. Clamping down on his horror, Mustang watched as Ed seemed to pick up instinctively on what he'd just learned, trying to aim his alchemy for the creature's bones, particularly their spines.

Just as he thought he and his soldiers had gotten the upper hand, Roy Mustang saw a giant walking along the ground like some sort of horrid imitation of a spider. Its limbs tensed and, before the Colonel could react, it pounced just a few dozen meters to his left, just barely missing the wall. Mustang paused his fingers for a moment as the giant turned around and he saw, to his horror, several soldiers caught in the giant's mouth, screaming in terror as they tried desperately to climb up the creature's slimy tongue. The giant, ignorant of their pleas, simply closed its mouth, swallowing the soldiers whole. Aghast at the grisly scene he'd just witnessed, Roy Mustang stood transfixed…the monster had devoured four men whole.

"You just signed your own death warrant," Mustang ground out, his teeth clenched hard as he tried in vain to keep his murderous rage in check.

Aiming his fingers swiftly at the giant as it prepared another pounce, Mustang snapped his fingers, screaming in fury as he did so, exploding the monster's head from the inside out, showering the area in steaming blood and sinew. Peripherally, he was aware, and quite shocked, at how the blood seemed to boil away, but he knew that he had to do. Snapping both his gloves at once, the Flame Alchemist blew the creature apart, bathing the area in blood, sinew and…human limbs. His eyes widened as the realization sunk in. In his rage, Mustang had consigned at least four men to a painful, fiery death.

Roy Mustang gripped his head and fell to his knees. Friendly fire in the worst possible sense of the term. His eyes wide with horror at what he'd just done…it wasn't even that, were word to get back to Central, he'd potentially face a court martial. That was inconsequential. He'd inspired those men, made them believe that they would survive and avenge their brothers in arms, and he'd killed them. A part of his mind, the part that was still functioning properly and not reeling in pained horror, was aware of the screaming around him. The only thing that shook him out of his reverie was a distant thump, and a bright orange glow ascending into the night sky, followed shortly afterward by a hatefully vibrant, threatening, mushroom-shaped cloud of fire.

"That's the fuel depot!" a soldier cried.

"Oh god," another said. "It was close to the wall, wasn't it?"

"They're gonna get in," yet another soldier said, dully at first, before his voice rose into a terrified shriek. "THEY'RE GONNA GET IN!"

"We need damage control!" Armstrong barked. "I'll head up the taskforce, you three," he continued, pointing towards the three soldiers nearest him. "Come with me. The rest of you, we need here, keeping these things busy!"

"Mustang, snap out of it, damn it!" Ed said, panicked as he grabbed the Flame Alchemist by his collar. "We need you!"

"Those men…" Mustang choked out. "They died because of me…because I didn't think."

"And the rest of them are going to die if you don't PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER!" Ed screamed, slapping Mustang hard across the face.

The sound of massive hands digging against the wall pulled Mustang back to the task at hand. "No," he said in a frighteningly calm voice. "No you don't." Walking toward the edge of the wall, Roy Mustang looked at the giants, gazing up at him as if he were a particularly delectable meal. "Not on my watch," were the only words to slip out of his mouth as he blasted two of the giants to pieces.

"Careful!" Ed said in a worried tone before using his alchemy to shore up the damage that had been inadvertently done. "Don't end up blowing a hole in the wall!"

"I will kill them all," Mustang said in an eerily detached voice. "Every last one."

Another explosion rocked the wall where the Flame Alchemist was methodically blasting titans to shreds one by one. A series of loud bangs followed, and suddenly, the entire northeastern side, as well as they could see, was engulfed in flames. As if on cue, Armstrong appeared on the wall, holding a blood-soaked hand over the right side of his face, blood flowing down the side of his face.

"The northeastern wall is lost," Armstrong said in a terrified voice. "Someone…someone built most of it over a _damned fuel line_. A stray ricochet struck one of the storage tanks at the depot, and the entire thing went up in flames."

"Lieutenant Colonel," Hawkeye said, touching his hand gently. "What happened to you?"

"I…" Armstrong began in a sick tone. "My men moved to intercept a giant that was following us. It…it ate them. One of the men was still carrying his gun as the thing bit…bit down on him, and he accidentally pulled the trigger. A stray piece of rock from the ricochet struck me in the eye."

"What about Colonel Greene?" Riza asked, knowing that the Colonel had been stationed on that side of the wall.

"I'm afraid," Armstrong responded sadly. "That he died in the explosion. Colonel Mustang is now acting commander of the Emell garrison and its men."

Acting on impulse, Riza Hawkeye tore part of her sleeve off and used it to bandage the Lieutenant Colonel's face as best she could. From what little she saw of it…she didn't think any doctor would be able to save Armstrong's eye. Moving toward Mustang, she grabbed the Colonel's arm as he was still solely focused on killing every giant he could see.

"Colonel," Riza said gently. "We need to sound the retreat. The giants will be able to get on the wall from our side, the city's lost."

"It isn't lost, Hawkeye," Mustang said in a calm, detached manner. "I simply need to kill more of them."

"I'm going to get court martialed for this," Riza said with a sigh before pulling the Colonel towards her, spinning him around, and punching him as hard as she could in the face.

"What the hell was that for?!" Mustang yelled in pain.

"I know how you feel about what happened," she said, picking Roy up. "But, you can't let your hatred get in the way of doing what needs to be done. Sound the retreat, or you're going to be responsible for more deaths than you can count… _sir_."

"But-!"

"Colonel," Riza said in a tone that brooked no nonsense. "I know this is grounds for having me put in the stockade, but you. Will. Sound. The. God damned. RETREAT."

"You!" Mustang began, before a light visibly blinked on in his head. "…You're right," he sighed. "Sound the retreat, Emell is lost. Keep to the plan, everyone. And, Armstrong," he continued, turning toward the wounded Lieutenant Colonel. "I'm sorry."

"I'll heal, Colonel," Armstrong said defiantly. "Thank you."

"How will we get to Liore?" Alphonse asked as the group walked toward the nearest military transport while the messengers relayed the orders to retreat.

"We'll leave through the south," Mustang said in a steely voice. "If my hunch is right, it'll have been the one with the least giant presence, since we didn't station as many soldiers there. From there, we'll approach Liore from the south, circling around to the eastern edge of the town, putting us almost on top of that portal."

"Will we have enough fuel?" Havoc asked.

"This thing's got enough spare fuel to get it almost all the way to Central," Ed noted, nodding toward the large number of fuel canisters in the transport.

"Everyone ready?" Mustang asked simply. "If anyone wants to fall back with the rest of the troops, I won't hold it against you. I…I wouldn't blame you, after what happened here."

"We stand with you, Colonel Mustang," Armstrong said with a salute as the others followed suit.

"Let's get moving, then," Mustang said, getting into the transport and starting it up, heading through the south side of town.

His hunch had proven correct, there were only a handful of giants anywhere near the southern side of the wall. A short transmutation from Ed later, and the group were crossing the desert in a military transport heavily laden with fuel, food, and water…everything they needed for an expedition. If Ed didn't know any better, he'd have thought that Mustang had this entire thing planned from the beginning. However, he kept that idea to himself, not wanting to risk angering Mustang since…since that. It'd be a long drive to Liore, but Edward had a feeling that they'd find answers there. Hopefully, there'd be people, and where there were people, there may well be a way to end these things once and for all.

 **Author's Notes**

Well…that got effing _dark_ , didn't it? Then again, this is a crossover with Attack on Titan, so dark is to be expected. Keep expecting it. I'm not going to be pulling punches here. Armstrong only survived because he got really damned lucky. For those wondering, Mustang was willing to go against another Colonel's decision because one, he couldn't order him not to, and two, he's learned to trust the instincts of his friends, and Havoc always struck me as being a man you can rely on to be good when it comes to thinking on his feet. Seeing what happened in Emell solidified the idea for him. I mean, you've got a guy that's just a few explosions shy of being a walking nuclear bomb, and he could only take out a handful of titans at a time, and we all know that there's a _lot_ of titans that need killin.

Thanks to everyone who gave this story a look, and to those who gave feedback! I'm having a tonne of fun (because I'm a sick bastard) writing this, and I'm glad to see there are folks out there that are having a tonne of fun reading it! With that, I suppose I'll sign off. Catch you guys later for Chapter Three of _The Greater Evil_ , The Search for Answers! Take care!


	3. The Search for Answers

**The Greater Evil**

Chapter Three: The Search for Answers

The ride from Emell to Liore was filled with a quiet tension. There were, eerily, no giants in or near the city; the quiet of Liore was almost deafening. Sticking to the plan, Mustang drove around the outskirts of the city, not wanting to risk running into any stragglers that might have stayed behind or just come through the portal. Though they were far from where most of the action took place, that day, the group, minus Edward and Alphonse, let out the occasional horrified gasp at the destruction the giants had wrought. Homes, shops…even the streets were crushed to rubble and caked in sun dried blood and corpses. Already the desert was beginning to reclaim the little oasis on the Eastern frontier, sand creeping into the streets, filling the cracks in the pavers and covering bodies in a fine layer of dust.

"There it is," Mustang said as they neared the church. "God, if this is what they do to a city…I hope there's someone on the other side that can help us."

"At least there don't seem to be any of those things in the city," Havoc sighed. "I do _not_ want to have to fight them again for a long time."

"You and me both," Falman said with a shudder. "I don't think I'll ever get them out of my head."

"Look," Hawkeye said as they parked near the destroyed front of the church. "I…I can scarcely believe it. The portal…it's actually there, just like how you described it, Ed."

"It hasn't changed since Cornello opened it," Edward observed. "I guess whatever the Stone did made it stable on both ends. Of course," he added, narrowing his eyes. "That's going to make closing it that much more difficult."

"We may not have to," Armstrong said, his remaining eye narrowed in thought. "Were it not for the explosion, I doubt the giants would have made it into Emell. If we could encase this portal in something strong or thick enough, then they couldn't get through."

"Good idea," Al said, perking up a little. "But, unless we know more about these things, we're not going to be able to finish off the ones that are already here before they…before they kill more people."

"Let's get moving," Mustang said. "Ed, think you could make a ramp up to the portal? I'd much rather have speed on our side, as well as the supplies, than try to go into hostile territory on foot."

"Yeah," Ed said, nodding as he got out of the transport. Clasping his hands, Ed threw them down on the ground at the front of the church, creating a smooth, gentle ramp right to the mouth of the portal. Without a word, Ed got back into the transport and Mustang led it slowly up the ramp, preparing to enter a completely unknown area.

"This is it," Mustang said as he put his foot on the accelerator.

Traveling through the portal was nothing like what any of the passengers had expected. Where a shift, a bump, or anything was expected, there was merely a silent shift. One moment, they were driving through a destroyed church, and the next, they were in a rolling grassland, easy terrain for the transport to traverse. As they stopped, Hawkeye poked her head outside the window, holding a spyglass to her right eye. Scanning the scenery, she noticed something odd…focusing her eyes, she could make it out clearly: it looked like an opening in the gigantic wall that dominated the area to their right, but it had been sealed by a giant boulder. There were obvious signs of damage to the wall.

"There's a wall that way, Colonel," Hawkeye said, pointing to their right. "As well as an entrance, but it appears to have been sealed off with a giant boulder."

"Think we could transmute through it?" Mustang asked simply. "I'd hate to barge in, but…this wall is enormous, and I have a feeling that we aren't going to find another entrance any time soon."

"It looks like regular stone, sir," Hawkeye responded. "So, yes. Though, I would recommend we seal the tunnel behind us, just in case."

"We should be able to make another one through it if things get dicey," Mustang said, nodding. "Let's go. The sooner we know where we are, the better."

Walking atop the wall, Captain Hannes of the Garrison Regiment watched as the people below scurried about, moving the bodies of those slain by the titans to the burning piles. Just then, he felt an elbow in his side. Another soldier of the Garrison Regiment pointed just ahead of the wall, handing him a spyglass. Looking through it at the point the soldier had designated, Hannes saw something…incredibly strange. A long, box-like vehicle was moving across the field outside the gate atop which he was standing. Focusing a bit, he saw that it was moving right for them.

"What the hell is _that_?" Hannes breathed.

"I have no idea, Captain," the soldier said. "I was checking to make sure more titans weren't on the way, and I spotted it. What do you think we should do?"

"Whatever it is," Hannes said, narrowing his eyes. "It's too small to be titan-related. My guess is that its humans, though, where they came from, I have no idea. Get a retinue of a dozen soldiers here, at once. Tell ten of them to latch on to the wall and wait. You," Hannes continued, looking at the soldier. "Will be at ground-level, with me."

"What about the titans, sir?" the soldier asked with trepidation.

"Their activity levels have been…oddly low," Hannes said. "However, these guys are moving fast, so I think we'll have time to get back atop the wall, should things get out of hand."

"Understood, sir," the soldier replied, saluting, before gathering the other soldiers he'd requested. Within minutes, ten members of the Garrison Regiment were waiting, their lines attached to the top of Wall Rose, as Hannes and the other soldier stood on the ground, awaiting the arrival of the strange vehicle.

"Looks like we've got company," Mustang said as they drove closer to the wall. "Guess they saw us coming. They don't look hostile, though…"

"Do you see those guys dangling from the top of the wall?" Ed said, looking out his window.

"Yeah," Hawkeye said simply. "I think they're just there as backup, though. If they were going to pounce, I doubt they'd have those two guys on the ground, there."

"Just play it cool," Mustang said as they stopped before the soldiers. "We're not here to start a fight."

As the vehicle stopped, Hannes raised an eyebrow at the people coming out of it. They were, by their uniforms (minus the short fellow and the one in the armour), some kind of military group, but certainly not one with whom he was familiar.

"That's far enough," Hannes said as the black-haired man, obviously the leader of the group, moved toward him. "Identify yourselves."

"My name is Colonel Roy Mustang," the Flame Alchemist replied, putting his hands up. "The short, blonde fellow behind me is Lieutenant Colonel Edward Elric. The one in the armour is his brother, Alphonse. The woman to my right is First Lieutenant Riza Hawkeye. The large fellow is Lieutenant Colonel Alex Louis Armstrong. Behind him, from your left to your right, are Warrant Officer Vato Falman, Sergeant Kain Fuery, and Second Lieutenant Jean Havoc."

"What regiment are you with?" Hannes asked. "And what's that vehicle you're using?"

"We're…not from around here," Mustang said honestly. "The vehicle is a standard military troop and supply transport, where we come from."

"I'd say we'd bring your vehicle inside the wall, and you to meet Commander Pixis," Hannes said, relaxing a bit. "But, as you can see, the wall is sealed. You can't get in without ODM gear."

"Lieutenant Colonel Elric here," Mustang said, pointing to Ed. "Could make a way for us to get in through the boulder, and then seal it once we're inside."

"Sir," the soldier whispered to Hannes. "Are you sure it's a good idea to let these people in?"

"We don't know these people, that's for sure," Hannes said quietly. "But, they don't seem to be a threat. Besides, I can't decide what to do with them, that's for Commander Pixis to do. If they can get in, I say let them. Unlike the titans, we outnumber them at least twelve to one, so we have the upper hand."

"Point taken, sir," the soldier agreed, nodding.

"If your man can really do what you claim," Hannes said in a skeptical tone. "Then we'll escort you to meet Commander Pixis, he'll decide what to do with you."

"Fair enough," Mustang replied, nodding. "Edward?"

"On it," Ed said, walking up to the giant boulder. Looking at it closely, Ed could see that it had a vague, crystalline structure to it, almost like a stony form of quartz. Clasping his hands together, Ed placed them on to the boulder's face, creating a tunnel just big enough to fit the transport.

"Whoa," Hannes said, his eyes widening. "You weren't kidding. Alright, then, I guess we'll take you to Commander Pixis, so long as you close that damn hole when you're through."

Mustang nodded and got back into the transport as Ed moved to the other side of the boulder. Driving slowly, the rest of the expeditionary party got through the boulder with few problems. As promised, Ed transmuted the boulder back to its original, whole state, sealing the exit behind them. Turning the engine off once he noticed the…state of the city he'd arrived in, as well as its notably narrow roads, Mustang and the rest of the group exited the vehicle once more as Captain Hannes swung down from a nearby building.

"Commander Pixis," Hannes began, nodding toward the strangers. "Is on the other side of town. It will be a few hours' walk there, but I can inform people to clear the way for your vehicle, if you want."

"You can ride with us, if you want," Mustang offered. "It'd be faster, that way."

"Sounds like a good idea," Hannes said, looking over the vehicle. "Lead on."

Mustang motioned Hannes to the passenger seat beside him. The Garrison Captain looked at the vehicle with a curious face before he sat down in the remarkably comfortable seat. He looked alarmed at a loud, rumbling noise that came from in front of him, but the others didn't seem bothered by it, so he tried to calm his nerves. Moving in this contraption was odd, but seeing a Captain of the Garrison Regiment inside it, as well as the vehicle's own size, encouraged people to get out of its way.

"I never caught your name," Mustang said conversationally as they slowly drove according to the man's directions.

"I'm Captain Hannes of the Garrison Regiment," Hannes responded. "You've come here at a bad time, strangers."

"This place," Ed said, looking around. "It looks like it was hit by those giants."

"Yeah," Hannes said, his head down. "The titans…we lost a lot of good men taking back Trost. We almost lost everything when the Colossal Titan broke down the gate. If it weren't for Eren, we might have lost Wall Rose…"

"Is Eren a soldier or something?" Ed asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Yeah," Hannes responded, a wistful smile forming on his face. "I watched over him, Armin, and Mikasa since they were kids. I don't know how he does it, but Eren…he can turn into a titan. He was the one to move that boulder into the hole and seal the breach. We dealt with the rest of the titans in here, but…it cost us a lot."

"Wait," Ed said, his eyes widening. "This Eren can become one of those things?! How?"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Hannes admitted, before his head picked up, his eyes narrowing. "Looks like rumour moved faster than we did, that's Commander Pixis at the gate ahead."

As they stopped, Mustang saw the man Hannes pointed out: a bald man with a wrinkled, but kindly smile under his grey mustache. His eyes, however…there was something about them that took the Flame Alchemist some time to figure out, when he remembered who else had that piercing, calculating look: Fuhrer King Bradley. As Hannes saluted the Commander, Mustang knew that this man, as kindly as he might seem, was also extremely intelligent and observant…not a man to trifle with.

"I understand that you're in charge here, Colonel Roy Mustang," Commander Pixis said after introductions were made, offering Mustang a hand which the Flame Alchemist shook without hesitation. "I'm Dot Pixis, Commander of the Garrison Regiment for the Southern Territories."

"Pleased to meet you, sir," Mustang said, nodding respectfully.

"Likewise," Pixis said, smiling. "I get the feeling that you're not from around here. Would you mind terribly telling where you _do_ come from?"

"I don't really know how to tell you this in a way that won't sound like an outrageous lie," Mustang admitted, not wanting to mince his words. "So I'll just tell you the bare facts. My soldiers and I came through a portal someone on our world created several kilometers south of the entrance to this city."

"I'll give you the benefit of the doubt," Pixis said easily. "However, I'll send a scouting party out to confirm your story. I don't believe I need to tell you what might happen if I catch you lying."

"No need, sir," Mustang responded. "I see that your people have…dealt with these giants, as well."

"Indeed, we have," Pixis sighed. "What do you know of the titans?"

"Not much," Mustang admitted in a disappointed tone. "We know they're incredibly strong, have regenerative powers, and possess a hunger for human flesh. We've managed to kill some of them, but…hundreds, at least, have invaded our land, Amestris."

"Killing titans without ODM gear?" Pixis said with a mixture of amusement and curiosity. "That really is something. If I hadn't also heard about your man here," he continued, nodding to Ed. "Creating and sealing a tunnel in solid stone with a clap of his hands, I'd be rather suspicious. Then again…near-immortal, man-eating giants are a difficult pill to swallow for people, too."

"We were hoping," Mustang added. "That your people would know how to defeat the…titans, as you call them, that have invaded our world. We can seal the portal, but without knowing exactly what we're dealing with, we could lose a lot of people before we're done. We've…already lost four cities, already."

"It's frightening," Pixis said in a sombre tone. "How quickly they work, you have my condolences, for what they're worth. As for the sharing of information," Pixis continued. "That's the jurisdiction of the Survey Corps' Commander, Erwin Smith. He recently attended the trial of Eren Jaeger, he's expected back here to help coordinate the last of the relief efforts tomorrow."

"Eren Jaeger," Ed said slowly. "The one that saved your city? Why was he on trial?"

"The higher-ups," Pixis said, turning toward the eldest Elric. "Are frightened of his ability to become a titan. They wanted to make sure he wasn't a threat. From what I heard, Captain Levi was able to convince them to let Eren enter the Survey Corps, under the condition that they…watch over him."

"Meaning," Mustang said suspiciously. "That he'll likely be killed at the first sign of trouble."

"You catch on fast," Pixis replied with a laugh. "Indeed, I believe that to be the case."

"I find it a bit odd," Riza said, narrowing her eyes. "That you're revealing all this to us."

"I'm telling you this," Pixis said, his voice turning uncharacteristically grim. "Because I can see the looks in your eyes. You've seen them, the titans. You've seen the kind of horror they're capable of inflicting. You admit to fighting them, and whatever else you might be, that makes us allies."

"Apologies if I gave any offense, Commander Pixis," Riza replied, bowing.

"That's not necessary," Pixis responded kindly. "I'd have to worry about your military's abilities if you weren't suspicious. You're sharp, and you're careful, and that keeps you alive. You'll need to keep a hold of it, if you want to keep fighting those things."

"So," Mustang began, relaxing visibly. "Just how big _are_ these walls, anyway? What we saw from outside…they stretch all the way to the horizon."

"And do so several times over," Pixis said, laughing. "We're at Wall Rose, now. There's another wall, Wall Maria, which was breached five years ago by the titans, around one hundred kilometers away. In total, the area inside the walls is over seven hundred thousand square kilometers."

Everyone's mouths hung open at the statement.

"That's over twice the size of Amestris!" Al gasped. "How did you manage to encompass such a gigantic area?!"

"That, my boy," Pixis replied. "Is one of life's great mysteries."

"As much as I'd love to continue learning about this place and the…titans," Mustang said, changing tack. "My men and I haven't had but a few hours' sleep between us, and my friend here," he continued, pointing toward Armstrong. "Needs medical attention for his eye. We cleaned it as well as we could, and kept the bandages fresh, but…well, none of us are doctors."

"I'll see to it that you and your men are well taken care of, Colonel Mustang," Pixis responded, placing a hand on his shoulder. "There's some room in our garrison on the other side of Wall Rose. You can stay the night there, and we'll tend to your wounded. Like I said, you're allies."

"If there's any way I can repay you," Mustang responded, his face turning a bit red at the man's kindly demeanour. "Let me know."

"You might show me how you kill titans where you come from," Pixis said with a slight, yet predatory, smile. "Something tells me it has to be impressive, if you can do it without the mobility we've got."

"I think I can demonstrate," Mustang said, looking at an unlit pyre. "Would your soldiers mind if I lit that for them?"

"By all means," Pixis said, his eyes calculating. "You'll help keep us safe from an outbreak."

Nodding at the Commander's words, Mustang walked over to the pyre, bowing his head and closing his eyes in solemnity, having a moment of silence for the fallen soldiers that were heaped upon it. Raising up his hand, Mustang snapped his fingers and lit the pyre, keeping the fire well-controlled…no need to destroy half a block with the explosions he was used to creating.

"That's…certainly new," Pixis said as the Flame Alchemist walked back. "I don't think I've ever heard of someone creating a fire with a snap of their fingers before. Not _literally_ , at any rate."

"It's alchemy," Ed said explanatorily. "The Colonel concentrated the oxygen around the area he wanted to burn and created a channel of concentrated oxygen leading to his fingers, using the ignition cloth in his gloves to create a spark and start the fire."

"I won't pretend to understand a lot of what you just said," Pixis said to Edward. "But, I take it he could use this…alchemy, to create an explosion as well as a fire?"

"I can," Mustang said, nodding. "Blow titans apart, and they don't get back up. Unfortunately, the more oxygen I have to concentrate, the longer the transmutation takes, so my radius and power are somewhat…limited."

"Which explains why you're having trouble with the titans," Pixis agreed. "An explosion of sufficient power would blast through the titan's weak spot and kill just as well as our paring blades. Most impressive."

"Weak spot?" Armstrong breathed, shocked to learn that these giants actually had a weakness.

"Indeed," Pixis said, pointing to the back of his neck. "From the back of the head to the nape of the neck. Ten centimeters tall and two meters across. Take that spot out, and a titan _stays_ dead. Of course…it's a lot easier said than done."

"That's good to know," Havoc said, chewing on his cigarette a bit. "At least we know where to aim, now. Other than the eyes, of course."

"I wonder why that's the weak spot," Edward said, eyes narrowed in thought.

"I haven't a clue," Pixis admitted. "In the hundred years we've fought them, we haven't figured out why that spot's the chink in the armour. However," he continued. "I believe there was some talk of rest, yes? We can continue this fascinating talk tomorrow, after you and your soldiers, Colonel Mustang, have had some rest. We'll be of more use to one another if we're both rested."

"I couldn't agree more," Falman agreed.

"Open the gate!" Pixis yelled, and order which was obeyed almost as soon as it was given.

"I'll show you where you'll be resting," Pixis said before adopting an amused smirk. "I assume I can have the honour of riding in your vehicle?"

"By all means," Mustang said, showing the Commander to the passenger seat.

Commander Pixis seemed a bit startled when the engine turned over, but he quickly regained his composure and guided the weary party to a small barracks where they'd be staying. Pixis admitted it wasn't the kind of place guests usually slept, but that he and his forces were currently pressed for space, since they were all concentrated at Trost, working on the recovery operation. No one in Mustang's unit could object, after spending the night sleeping in shifts inside a loud, diesel-fueled military transport. A medic entered the barracks shortly after they settled in, and applied some medicine to Armstrong's eye and re-bandaging it after cleaning it. Weary from fatigue, the group said very little as they went to their beds, seeking the sleep they so desperately craved. Only Alphonse remained awake, his condition preventing any form of physical fatigue. The youngest Elric brother decided to keep watch over the group as they rested. While he trusted this Commander Pixis, he didn't want to run the risk of having someone come in unannounced and try to hurt his friends, not after all they'd been through. Tomorrow, the search for answers would continue in earnest. For now, however, there was rest.

 **Author's Notes**

The worlds have officially collided! Just to get it out of the way, yes, the Survey Corps (including Eren, Mikasa, and Armin) will be playing a part in this fic. There's a _lot_ of interplay between that group and the Amestrians that will make things extremely interesting. Let's answer a question, shall we?

 **GoldenMoon1997:** Mostly, I'll be following the manga for FMA. I think the map I'm using is based off the '03 anime, though…honest mistake, since I used Google Image search, instead of the FMA wiki. I'll keep using that map, just to keep things consistent. I haven't forgotten…certain people. On either side. This is going to screw up a _lot_ of plans, in both worlds.

Well, that's about it, for now! I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Four of _The Greater Evil_ , Arrival of the Survey Corps! Take care!


	4. Arrival of the Survey Corps

**The Greater Evil**

Chapter Four: Arrival of the Survey Corps

Rest did not come easily to Colonel Mustang's party. Exhaustion helped to dull the edges off the nightmares, but Alphonse could still hear crying and, occasionally, screaming as the rest of the people slept. It was bad enough when it was just his brother, but hearing even Colonel Mustang and Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong having horrible nightmares helped him appreciate the things they'd witnessed…not that he needed help in the first place. Perhaps not being able to sleep was a blessing in disguise.

A quiet, yet less tired group performed their daily ablutions that morning, changing out of their dirty uniforms into something less likely to chafe due to accumulated sand, sweat, and blood. Edward simply opted for cleaning his clothes in water then transmuting the water into vapour. Simple, but effective. A whistle sounded somewhere in the distance, atop Wall Rose. Wondering what it meant, Alphonse walked to the nearest window. The youngest Elric saw a large group of soldiers gathered, some on horseback. The man at the head had short-cropped, blonde hair and thick eyebrows. His features were set as if carved from stone, belying his serious nature.

Off to the side, a trio of soldiers that looked to be his and Ed's age were standing together, obviously a tight-knit group. At the fore was a young man with short, brown hair and vibrant, green eyes. He didn't seem as calculating as his commander, but he had a furious kind of focus on his face, as if he were ready to spring into battle at any moment. To his left stood a girl with black hair just above her shoulders, her grey eyes looking forward, as if waiting for…something. To the brown-haired young man's right stood another boy, a few inches shorter than him. His blonde hair was longer than the girl's and his blue eyes were scanning the area, as if he was planning out a battle in his head. Next to the green-eyed teenager, riding on horseback, was a shorter man with short, lank, black hair and light brown eyes. He looked as if profoundly bored, but something about his posture made Al doubt that initial assessment.

Almost as if sensing that the group was ready to face the day, Commander Pixis and the leader of the newly-arrived brigade entered the barracks, the older gentleman smiling just a tiny bit wider at the alert soldiers standing before him.

"Colonel Mustang," Pixis said, waving toward the tall, blonde man. "This is Commander Erwin Smith of the Survey Corps, as promised."

"Pleased to meet you," Mustang replied, holding out a hand to the serious-looking Commander Erwin, which the latter shook firmly.

"Likewise," Commander Erwin replied. "I hear you're from outside the Walls."

"Yes and no," Mustang replied, scratching his head. "It's…a bit difficult to explain, really."

"Commander Pixis told me of this portal you talked about," Erwin began. "He also told me about your rather…interesting abilities. I'd like to know what you think we can do for you, when you seem to have us outmatched, technologically."

"Commander Pixis," Colonel Mustang said, nodding toward the genial man. "Told me your people have been fighting these…titans, for at least a hundred years. My people and I haven't even fought them a week. And we're losing."

"Like most people do against the titans," Erwin responded before noting Mustang's rather outraged look. "I don't mean that as a mark against you, Colonel. Quite to the contrary, the fact that you've managed to kill some of them in such a short time is impressive. I think we could be of use to one another."

"Commander Erwin," the bored-looking man said as he entered the building. "What should we do with Jaeger? He looks like he's about to start chewing on his belts."

"Eren Jaeger?" Ed asked, a little excited.

"Might as well bring him and the other two in, Captain Levi," Erwin said with a shrug. "He might help with this whole arrangement."

"Jaeger, Ackerman, Arlert!" Levi barked out the door. "Get in here!"

"What is it, Captain?" the brown-haired boy asked.

"Mustang," Commander Pixis began, slapping the brown-haired boy hard on his back. "This is Cadet Eren Jaeger, the boy I told you about. His two friends here are Cadets Mikasa Ackerman and Armin Arlert. It's not a stretch to say that these three saved humanity when they rescued Trost and sealed that hole in the Wall."

"Saved humanity?" Armstrong breathed. "You mean…you're all that's left?"

"We are," Erwin noted with a bit of remorse. "The titans have nearly driven us to extinction."

At the mention of the titan's destroying most of his race, Ed noticed Eren's face take on a hateful look. It looked…familiar. It took a minute to recognize it: it was the opposite face to the one Mustang wore when all hell broke loose back at Emell. Where the Colonel's was one of cold, calculating, destructive impulse, Eren's was one of furious, hateful rage. Of all the people currently in this room, Ed could easily tell the one that frightened him the most. That kind of rage was extremely dangerous.

"Is there anything you can tell us about them?" Mustang asked. "Other than their healing power and weak spot, that is."

"Someone seeking knowledge about the titans?" A perky, feminine voice called from outside. In the room stepped a happy-looking young woman with her long, brown hair set in a ponytail. Her glasses framed her exuberant, brown eyes well, and the Flame Alchemist could tell that she would be every bit as irrepressibly chipper as Hughes when he was going on about his daughter.

"This, Colonel Mustang," Captain Levi said, looking visibly annoyed. "Is Squad Leader Hange Zoe. She spearheads our investigation of the titans."

"Pleased to meet you, ma'am," Mustang said cordially, shaking Zoe's hand. "Is there anything specific you can tell us about them? Anything that might give us a tactical advantage?"

"Of course I can!" Zoe chirped, her eyes alight. "Where to begin…? Oh, I know! Titans don't possess a digestive system-"

"They don't?" Ed asked, shocked at the implication. "You mean…you mean they don't even eat humans as _food_?!"

"No," Zoe said as if she were reading off an invisible checklist. "As far as we know, they only eat humans, and they derive no sustenance from the act. They seem to support themselves from sunlight, though how they do this has…eluded me. They're still plenty dangerous at night, though!"

"We know," Mustang replied darkly. "We were there when Emell was overrun."

"Emell?" Levi said, quirking his eyebrow.

"One of the cities on the far eastern edge of our country, Amestris," Mustang temporized.

"How'd you fight them?" Levi asked, his curiosity now piqued.

"We erected a massive wall around the city, easily twenty meters high and ten meters thick," Mustang began slowly. "We had some advanced warning and the military conscripted the city's local alchemists. It would have held out, had one of the conscripts not gotten lazy…"

"Made the wall to brittle, I take it?" Levi responded.

"No," Mustang said, his eyes narrowed in anger. "They built it near a fuel depot and over some underground fuel lines. A stray bullet struck one of the fuel containers and the whole thing cascaded, destroying a massive section of the wall."

"What kind of fuel are you talking about?" Zoe asked, peering at the Colonel. "Coal? Wood? Oil?"

"Gasoline," Mustang replied simply. "It's…a heavily refined form of petroleum, it's what runs almost all of our civilian vehicles. It's highly flammable, even explosive, under the right conditions."

"Is that what runs your transport?" Pixis asked.

"Our transport runs off diesel," Mustang replied. "It's slightly less refined than gasoline, but it's more stable and lasts longer."

"I would _love_ ," Zoe said, eyes twinkling madly. "To see this transport of yours! From what I hear, it's far beyond anything we have!"

"Uhm," Mustang began, this woman was absolutely irrepressible. "Go right ahead. Ed, Al," Mustang continued, turning toward the Elric brothers. "Show the Squad Leader here the transport."

"Would you mind taking Jaeger here with you?" Levi asked, giving the young man a sideways glance.

"Not at all!" Zoe replied excitedly. "More friends on the quest for knowledge! Lead the way, Ed and Al!"

Ed said nothing, but raised an eyebrow at the woman. She acted a lot like Winry when she saw a piece of new machinery…about ten seconds before she'd stripped it down to the bare wires. Walking outside the barracks, Ed savoured the fresh air. The air here seemed a lot cleaner than in Central, almost like back home in Resembool. If it weren't for the man-eating giants, Ed would find this place extremely relaxing. Maybe, if they found a way to be rid of them for good, the two worlds could be joined, should the portal last. As Zoe squeed and inspected the large transport, Eren walked next to the boy with the long, blonde ponytail, this…Ed.

"Have you ever fought a titan, Ed?" Eren asked seriously, as if he was testing him.

"Eren," Armin warned. "That's hardly polite."

"It's okay," Ed replied warily. "I have. I've killed some, too. I was there when the portal first opened when…when the titans took Liore."

"That you survived without ODM gear is amazing," Armin replied, a bit astonished. "How'd you survive without mobility?"

"Alchemy," Ed replied simply. "Al and I contained them with a wall for a time, before they broke through. Thanks to that, we managed to evacuate a good portion of the city. Still, though…I couldn't tell you how many people they killed."

"What's alchemy?" Armin asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

"Alchemy is the art of understanding the structure of matter," Ed responded, going into lecture mode. "Deconstructing it, and reassembling it as something else. We alchemists can use that power to turn lead into gold, or to erect structures. There's limits, though," Ed continued, lowering his head. "Nothing can be gained without giving something of equal value in return."

"I have a question," Al began. "What's this ODM gear you guys keep talking about? I take it that it's the belts and canisters and things you're wearing, but…how's it work?"

"Its formal name is omni-directional mobility gear," Armin replied. "As for how it works, well…these cylinders contain compressed gas which propel us forward. Our paring blades have triggers to release grappling hooks. Using that, as well as our own momentum, we can move in any direction we want, so long as we have gas."

"What kind of gas?" Ed asked, this kind of thing would be invaluable, even when fighting regular people.

"I don't know," Armin replied, scratching his head. "I'm not sure anyone does, really."

"Where do you get it?" Ed held forth.

"Underground, I think," Armin replied. "Why do you ask?"

"Because," Ed responded, his head lowered. "Where it comes from can tell us what kind of gas we're dealing with. Since its underground, it might be either natural gas or methane. What's it smell like?"

"Bad eggs," Armin replied, raising an eyebrow.

"Most likely natural gas, then," Ed replied. "I have a friend back home that could study that and make a lot more, maybe even improve it. Those blades…they look a bit strange."

"How so?" Mikasa asked suspiciously.

"Could I see one?" Ed asked, a theory forming in his head.

"I guess," Armin replied, handing a paring blade to Ed.

"This is definitely steel," Ed began, studying the blade before taking off his left glove and running a finger along the blade. "No protective oil, though. That means it's likely an iron-chromium alloy. Going by the stiffness of the blade, I'd say that there's far too much chromium in here. These blades would be good for cutting flesh and bone, but not much else."

"How can you tell all that just by looking at it?" Eren asked, shocked at how this guy was all but dissecting the blade in his hands.

"Carbon steel," Ed began, handling the razor-sharp blade carefully. "Would require a protective oil coating to keep it from rusting. High chromium content prevents rusting, but too much makes the steel brittle. Hard, but brittle. If you accidentally hit a rock hard with this, it'd shatter on impact."

"You're saying all this," Mikasa said a bit testily, a tad irked that her equipment, by proxy, was being so clinically scrutinized. "As if you have something better in mind."

"I do, in fact," Ed replied in a disconnected voice. "Let's see…you'd need something resistant to rusting that's light, yet durable, hm. Maybe…platinum?"

"What's that?" Armin asked, looking at the blade that was part of what was keeping him from being titan fodder.

"It's a metal," Ed responded, looking the blade over. "It's a lot harder than steel, and about the same weight. It's also less brittle, so your blades wouldn't chip and break as easily. I could…transmute one, if you want."

"You can change it back, right?" Armin asked hesitantly.

"I should be able to, yeah," Ed replied, holding the blade up to the sky and studying it.

"In that case, I don't see why not," Armin responded.

Ed nodded and placed the blade gently on the ground. Kneeling down, he clasped his hands and placed them on the blade. As the smoke cleared, the blade was shining brilliantly in the sunlight. Ed picked it up and handed the blade to Armin for his inspection. Gingerly taking the blade and attaching it to one of his trigger mechanisms, Armin noticed an immediate, if small, difference. The blade felt...different, slightly lighter, but it didn't brutalize the air as it passed through like super-hardened steel did. On the contrary, the air practically sang as Armin swung his blade, an astonished look on his face.

"This," Armin began, searching for words to describe what he was experiencing. "This is amazing!"

"Ooh," Zoe said in a chipper voice, her head poking out the back of the transport. "Was that alchemy?"

"Yeah, it was," Ed said, a measure of pride creeping into his voice. "It's different from how most people do it, since they need an array to effect a transmutation, but it works just as well!"

"Edward," Mikasa said, walking toward the alchemist. "Could you transmute my blades? I want to see what Armin's on about."

"Hehe," Zoe giggled as Edward transmuted the blades in Mikasa's hands. "Popular with the ladies, are you?"

"Don't get any funny ideas!" Ed interjected, embarrassed.

"I…see," Mikasa said, swinging her blades. "They feel different, but better."

"Populaaaaar," Zoe chirped.

"Squad Leader," Commander Erwin warned, walking toward the group. "Don't tease our allies, please."

"Ackerman," Levi began, narrowing his eyes a bit. "Why are you and Arlert staring at your paring blades like they're newfound friends?"

"Ed did something to them," Armin said, still somewhat astounded at how his blade gleamed in the sunlight. "He studied one of mine and said that the steel was really brittle, so he transmuted it into…platinum, he said."

"You could tell the composition of our blades just by studying them?" Levi asked, turning towards Edward with a calculating expression on his face.

"I'm an alchemist," Ed explained. "As far as I know, we all train ourselves in understanding the properties of different chemical elements, as well as various compounds and alloys. Understanding what we're working with is the first step of transmutation."

"Most impressive," Levi said, looking at Armin's blade. "And useful."

"So is this vehicle!" Zoe said happily, hopping out of the back. "I bet it could move several times faster than a horse at full gallop! It's so amazing! I would _love_ to study more of your world's technology!"

"Maybe that could be arranged," Colonel Mustang said, stepping into view. "Your knowledge of the titans combined with our technology and alchemy would make for a very potent combination."

"Indeed," Commander Erwin agreed. "I think I'll grant your request, Colonel Mustang, contingent on your people showing ours where this portal is and proving that things really are as you say."

"That sounds reasonable," Mustang replied, nodding. "We can't take your whole regiment with us, though…we have room and supplies for five extra bodies, but no more."

"Very well," Erwin said before thinking for a moment. "Squad Leader Hange Zoe, Captain Levi, I want you two to take Jaeger, Ackerman, and Arlert with you and accompany Colonel Mustang and his troops to this portal and investigate their world."

"Are you sure that's wise?" Levi said, arching an eyebrow.

"If what they say is true," Erwin explained. "They may well need our most experienced titan slayers to assist them. Jaeger, Arlert, and Ackerman will act as backup for the Squad Leader while she studies things on the other side."

"To think," Zoe said gleefully as she visibly vibrated. "I'll be the first to study a whole new world! Maybe there will even be new titans! Oh, I can't wait!"

"At least one of us seems excited," Havoc remarked sullenly.

"Commander Erwin," Eren began, looking at the blonde man with a mixture of respect and admiration. "When do we leave?"

"That depends," Erwin replied, turning towards Mustang. "Do you have sufficient supplies to make it back to your world?"

"We'll need some more food," Mustang responded, checking off items in a mental list. "We likely have enough to make it back to Eastern Command, maybe even Central, but I'd like some breathing room, if you don't mind."

"I think I can divert enough rations for you," Erwin said, nodding. "It should only take us about four hours to make the necessary arrangements."

"And it'll take us about two days to reach Central," Mustang temporized. "Assuming we sleep in shifts."

"I don't think that will be an issue," Captain Levi said simply. "We'll help you keep watch for any titans."

"I'd ask," Mustang began, turning towards Levi. "That you alert either me or Edward should a titan be spotted. A lot of the area between Liore and Central is desert and open land. No offense, but your gear would be nearly useless, there."

"Makes sense enough," Levi replied, nodding. "Consider it done. If worse comes to worst, Eren, at least, should be able to help in a pinch with that ability of his."

"Sounds like we have a plan," Mustang said, holding out a hand for Captain Erwin.

"It would seem so," Erwin replied, shaking Mustang's hand firmly. "I warn you, Colonel Mustang," Erwin started in a deadly serious tone. "If my men think you're trying to play us, they won't hesitate to cut you down."

"Of that I have little doubt," Mustang remarked with a wry smile.

Sure enough, just over four hours later, a cart bearing a rather large amount of bread and various vegetables approached the transport, the soldier driving it unashamedly staring at the newcomers and their odd vehicle.

"So," Ed began, barely looking at Eren as the two of them hoisted a large sack of potatoes into the back of the transport. "How long are you guys gonna be with us?"

"According to Captain Levi, Commander Erwin said our mission would likely be about a week," Eren responded, stretching his arms a bit. "Two, at most. Your Colonel agreed to bring us back once we're done."

"Who is that Levi guy, anyway?" Ed asked, taking a long-awaited seat as he waited for the rest of their group to arrive and begin the journey back. "The way you guys look at him…the way Commander Erwin treats him, it's like he's some war hero or something."

"He is," Eren said, a steely gaze forming on his face. "Captain Levi is the Survey Corps' best titan slayer. Some people say he's worth an entire battalion of soldiers. I've never seen him in action, myself, but I've heard that he took down a score of titans by himself, once."

"That's…" Ed began, his eyes wide. "Impressive. I'm glad we've got him, and the rest of you guys, on our side, then."

Eren merely smiled and nodded, putting forth a hand, which Ed shook. His grip was extremely firm, and when their hands parted, Eren looked at Ed with one eyebrow raised. Ed sighed, figuring it was inevitable.

"You noticed, huh?" Ed said, taking off his coat, revealing his automail arm. "It's automail."

"I've never seen a prosthetic like this before in my life," Eren said, looking at the metal arm with a mixture of awe and wonder. "How…how did you get something like that?"

"My brother and I," Ed began in a whisper, making sure nobody else was around. "We…a long time ago, we tried to use alchemy to bring our mother back to life," his voice hitched as he remembered that horrible night. "She died when we were just kids. We studied all the alchemy we could. The day we tried to bring her back…the transmutation went wrong. I lost my right arm and left leg. Al…" Ed continued, shaking a little. "Al lost his entire body. I just barely managed to bond his soul to that suit of armour."

"I," Eren began, looking somewhat ashamed for asking such a personal question. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…"

"It's okay," Ed replied with a heavy sigh. "Since that day, we've been trying to find the Philosopher's Stone, so we can return our bodies to the way they used to be. I…I don't know if we should keep going or not, sometimes."

"Why?" Eren couldn't help but ask.

"We got a lead," Ed began, knowing this was inevitable. "There was a religious leader, a priest, in the town of Liore that was performing miracles. Curing the sick, making the blind see, things like that."

"You thought he had this Philosopher's Stone?" Eren asked, though he already knew the answer.

"He did have it," Ed responded automatically. "Al and I cornered him. He was using it to gather followers that he could use to overthrow the government. We…all we wanted was to get our bodies back. Father Cornello, he was called, got desperate. His Stone responded, creating the portal between our worlds, and…and bringing the titans into our world."

"Damn," Eren responded, lacking words for a moment. "Though, maybe this is a blessing in disguise…"

"How?" Ed began with an edge to his voice. "How could this possibly be a blessing?!"

"You guys," Eren replied, his eyes narrowing in thought. "You have abilities we don't, you're capable of killing titans without ODM gear. Pooling our abilities, we can finally kill them all! We've been waiting for a hundred years for some kind of edge against them, and here you are! Besides," Eren began, his voice going into a whisper. "Technically, we're going outside the walls. No one outside the Survey Corps has managed to do that and come back alive since we found the Walls."

"I…see," Ed replied, scratching his chin. "With your knowledge and our resources, maybe we can beat them. Wait a sec," he continued, his head shooting up as Eren's words hit him. "You mean nobody's been outside these walls in a hundred years? How? Why?"

"Knowledge about the outside world is illegal," Eren responded angrily. "If you're caught with it, you'll be executed on the spot."

"What." Ed said, his mind going blank with outrage.

"What?"

"You mean to tell me," Ed began, his brow furrowed in anger. "That you can't even _know_ about the outside without risking death?"

"Pretty much, yeah," Eren spat. "We all have the complacency of livestock, nobody even _wants_ to see the world beyond the Walls."

"I think you're right," Ed said, looking at his feet, concentrating. "We can do one another a lot of good. Something about this stinks, and I don't like it."

"Me, too," Eren replied, looking to his right. Following his gaze, Ed saw the rest of the group walking toward the transport.

"Everything ready, Fullmetal?" Colonel Mustang asked Ed.

"Yep," Ed replied, before his eyes went wide with shock as Zoe rushed to him. He'd forgotten to put his coat back on…or at least lower his sleeve.

"What's this?" Zoe asked with a squeal of delight. "A prosthetic limb? It's incredible!"

"Maybe, if we get the chance," Ed began, shifting nervously. "I can introduce you to the mechanic who made it for me. She could tell you more about it than I could."

"I'd love that!" Zoe said excitedly.

"Enough showing off, Fullmetal," Mustang said, a small smile on the edge of his lips. "Let's get moving."

As the rest of the soldiers crawled into the back of the transport, Riza taking the passenger seat while Mustang sat in the driver's seat, Ed thought on Eren's words. Something about them seemed…wrong, and Eren was far angrier about the situation than he was letting on, but Ed got the feeling that he wasn't angry for the same reason as Eren. Restricting knowledge only served one purpose: to control. Alchemists used it for certain dangerous subjects like human transmutation. However, to keep people from being curious about the outside world…that left a bad taste in the Fullmetal Alchemist's mouth. Restricting people's ambition to be free, to come out from under the titan scourge…there was something sinister at work here. The few glances he got at Colonel Mustang's face showed that Ed wasn't alone in noticing something was terribly amiss here.

 **Author's Notes**

Not as much horror as its predecessors…hell, it's practically lighthearted in comparison. Still, it helps drive the plot forward and showcases some nice interaction between the two worlds, as well as differences in thought. Yeah, Ed and Mustang are pretty quick on the uptake; aside from Alphonse, those two are, in my opinion, the two most perceptive people in all FMA, except maybe Hawkeye. I might have made Hange a bit more exuberant than she is in canon, but she's one of those types that loves a new discovery, and a semi-modern military transport, as well as a fully-functional prosthetic arm, are a very, _very_ far cry from the more 17th century tech AoT has available to them. Kinda like exposing Leonardo da Vinci to an M1 Abrams and a powered exoskeleton.

With that said, I'd like to thank you all for your reviews! They really help me keep going, especially now that things are rather a bit hectic between college and my new job. I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Five of _The Greater Evil_ , Bridging the Gap! Take care!


	5. Bridging the Gap

**The Greater Evil**

Chapter Five: Bridging the Gap

The non-Amestrians were startled when the transport's engine turned over. The deep, throaty growl of the diesel engine had everyone but Captain Levi and Hange looking concerned momentarily before they noticed the lack of reaction from their companions. Levi merely arched an eyebrow, turning his head slightly toward the sound's source. Hange's eyes lit up brighter than the sun, and a wide grin spread across her face. The party was fairly quiet as they crossed Trost.

"This thing's really fast," Armin said to Ed as they neared the giant boulder. "We couldn't have been moving for more than an hour, but we're already across Trost district."

"I will admit," Captain Levi said, looking toward the gate. "This thing rides a lot smoother than a horse."

"It could easily outrun a normal titan," Zoe added with a grin. "Probably a lot of the quicker abnormals, too."

"We haven't been going all that fast," Ed said simply. "Colonel Mustang's taking it slow because of all these people and narrow streets."

"With something this heavy," Armin replied, nodding. "That's a good idea. It must take a while to stop when it's going at full speed."

"A transport like this," Armstrong said calmly. "Can stop quickly, when the situation requires it, but we tend to prefer to stop gradually."

"Yeah," Ed said with a hint of amusement. "I remember one guy driving me around Central and had to brake for someone crossing the street. Nearly broke my nose against the dashboard."

"Poor guy," Al added, shaking his head. "He went white as a sheet when he found out you were a State Alchemist."

"He did, didn't he?" Ed laughed. "Sometimes, I really love having this watch."

"Some kind of badge of office?" Mikasa asked Ed.

"Kind of, yeah," Ed replied, nodding. "When we receive our State certifications, State Alchemists all get a watch like this. It's part graduation present, part identification. Helps that we State Alchemists start out the rank equivalent of a Major."

"Is that a high rank?" Eren asked, quirking his head to the side.

"It's two ranks below Colonel," Havoc answered. "Ed here's a Lieutenant Colonel, thanks to his actions in Liore, he's just below Colonel Mustang in rank…and _four_ ranks above me," Jean added with a sour face.

"Hey," Fuery objected. "I heard someone talking before we left Central, Ed helped save thousands of people. He's six ranks above me, and you don't hear me complaining."

"I didn't mean to imply he didn't earn it," Havoc said sheepishly. "Sorry, Edward. It's just embarrassing to have a kid almost half my age outrank me."

"Its fine," Ed replied diplomatically. "I'd be put off if Al outranked me."

"Fullmetal," Colonel Mustang called from the cabin as the transport lurched to a halt. "Mind giving us a hand here?"

"Just a sec," Ed said, getting up and out of the transport, keenly aware of Hange's eyes boring into the back of his skull.

Clasping his hands and placing them on the boulder, Ed once again transmuted a hole large enough for the transport to make it through with minimal problems. He heard a happy squeal followed by a strangled cry as the transport moved back into action, driving slowly through the exit Edward had created. Once he and the transport were through, Ed transmuted the hole closed…they were now back outside Wall Rose. Back in titan territory. A shiver of dread crept up Ed's spine as he climbed back into the back of the transport. He hoped that they didn't encounter any titans when they got back to Liore. The portal could be seen in the distance, and there was nothing hindering their vision across the eerily quiet, clear field. Within minutes, the rest of the party could easily make out the portal. Al signaled Captain Levi and his entourage.

"You weren't kidding," Eren gasped in shock. "It really does exist…"

"Be prepared for a fight," Armstrong said in an uncharacteristically dark tone. "We don't know if any titans have crossed over while we've been here."

"Roger," Captain Levi said automatically, poking his head out from under the canvas tarp covering the back of the transport.

Hange was strangely quiet as she stared at the portal rapidly growing in the distance. Ed figured that even she was skeptical about such a thing really existing, not that he blamed her. If even a week ago, someone told him he'd be fighting man-eating giants and crossing a portal into another world, he'd have thought them insane, likely dangerous. Now, though, he knew the truth, and it both elated and horrified him. Taking this discovery to its logical conclusion, it was safe to assume that there were more than just two worlds out there. Maybe, one day, alchemy could find a way to other worlds…hopefully, ones that weren't overrun with murderous monstrosities. As the transport crossed the threshold, back into Liore, Captain Levi let out a small whistle.

"You weren't kidding," he said, covering his nose from the stench. "The titans destroyed this place."

"It was a massacre," Ed said in a sick voice. "Nobody was prepared for…for them. For what they could do."

"Still," Captain Levi said as they exited the city the same way they came in. "The fact you were even able to save a few people, let alone as many as you did, speaks to not only your skill and bravery, but your world's technological capabilities. As your Colonel said, with your science and technology and our knowledge of the titans, we could pose a serious threat to them."

"Hey, Colonel," Havoc called to the cabin. "Where are we heading?"

"To Eastern Command!" Mustang shouted. "Maybe we can get there before the titans do. If they're overrun, we'll assist with evacuation and head to Central!"

"Understood, sir!" Havoc replied.

"About how long will it take us to get to this Eastern Command?" Eren asked.

"It's about halfway between here and Central by the main roads," Havoc said, lighting a cigarette. "But, we don't seem to be heading in that direction. My guess is Mustang is taking us directly across the desert, so it shouldn't be more than a few hours. This thing can easily do seventy five kilometers an hour and, going the direct route, Eastern Command is only about 140 kilometers away."

"So," Eren replied, straightening his posture. "No need to let our guard down."

"It doesn't hurt to relax a little," Havoc said, stretching a little and taking a puff of his cigarette.

Eren merely nodded and smiled, looking out from under the tarp. He could scarcely hold his wonder at bay. Next to him, he could see Armin was having just as difficult a time. It was just like that book Armin had showed him all those years ago, only this time, it was real. Vast swathes of beautiful, golden sand that stretched as far as the eye could see. The heat rippled off the dunes near the horizon. Deserts were hot, but Eren thought they had a beauty all their own. The gentle curve of the dunes, the way the individual grains occasionally reflected the sun, it was amazing.

"I always swore I'd see the world outside the walls, one day," Armin said in awe. "But, I never, in my life, thought I'd be seeing an entirely different world. This place is…it's amazing."

"You boys have never seen a desert?" Armstrong asked sympathetically.

"Never," Armin replied. "There's nothing like this inside the walls. It's gorgeous."

"I must admit," Armstrong replied, lowering his head. "Even after the war, I still think much the same thing. It's rather peaceful, isn't it?"

Mikasa couldn't hold her curiosity at bay any longer and found herself peering out with her friends. She had to agree with Armin and Eren: this place was breathtaking. A gasp threatened to escape her mouth before she quashed it. For a moment, Mikasa Ackerman lost herself amongst the gently rolling sand dunes. For nearly two hours, she and her friends watched the desert pass them by before they caught sight of a few low-lying, square structures on the horizon.

"Looks like we're getting close to East City," Falman said, peering outside. "Load up, everyone. I don't see any fires, but it doesn't hurt to be careful."

Zoe watched with a grin on her face as Falman, Fuery, and Havoc loaded their weapons. This world really did have them in advanced technology. Their world's primitive rifles had nothing on the one she saw Falman load a strange box into and sling around his shoulder. Even the pistols looked drastically different.

"Say," Havoc said to Levi, lighting up his last cigarette before they reached East City. "You guys have cannons…do you have guns, as well?"

"We do," Levi confirmed with a nod. "But, they're quite different from yours. They're not really useful against titans, unless you shoot their eyes, so only Military Police regularly use them."

"You guys got MPs, too, huh?" Havoc replied conversationally. "Bet they're every bit the ball-busters there that they are here."

"Indeed," Captain Levi said, turning his attention outside. The buildings, while shorter than most found in their world, would at least make their ODM gear useful. The sight of taller ones put the veteran titan slayer slightly at ease. The more verticality they had, the better. These Amestrians might not need mobility to slay titans, but his people didn't have alchemy.

"Say," Hange said, pointing toward lines that stretched back inside the city. "What are those cables on top of those poles?"

"Those are power and phone lines," Fuery replied. "They transmit electricity and help us communicate more easily across the country. I think I even see an old telegraph line there, too."

"What I'd give," Hange said with a sigh. "For even a single day to spend here, learning everything I can about your technology."

"I don't think I see any signs of titan activity," Captain Levi said, observing the ground ahead. "And, like you said, erm…Falman, the city's not on fire."

"It's strange," Ed said, lowering his head and narrowing his eyes. "We didn't encounter a single titan on our way here. I thought their movements would be more uniform."

"What's the nearest, most populous city, after Emell?" Hange asked.

"New Optian, I think," Ed answered.

"They're likely there, then," Hange replied. "That, or they're on their way here after moving on from there. Titans tend to go for places where the human population density is highest. With respect to distance, of course."

"Like predators on the hunt," Levi added with a raised eyebrow. "Oddly appropriate."

Ed was silent the rest of the ride through East City, as they made their way to Eastern Command. He didn't like the thought of losing yet another city to those damned things. As fast as they moved, he doubted they had more than two, three days at most before the titans were on top of them. Mentally, he steeled himself. He didn't want to have to fight another battle and, going by the faces of his comrades, he wasn't alone in that desire. However, another thought found its way into his head. He could help stop them here…stem the tide like enough to push them back. An ember began to glow in Edward Elric's heart, turning into a flame. He would make sure that all the deaths the people of Amestris have suffered wouldn't be in vain. He would fight back, tooth and nail, if he had to. He would protect everyone. He would protect Resembool…would protect Pinako and Winry. For them, it didn't matter if he had to move a mountain, he'd do it. With his alchemy, he'd put a stop to this.

Captain Levi studied the building to which they were driving up. It had the bearing of a command headquarters, it was certainly ostentatious enough. The white marble glared at him in the sun, and the greenery leading up to the building was lush and vibrant. It reminded him, rather uncomfortably, of the veritable palaces the nobles lived in, just with fewer floors. A roadblock ahead caused the Colonel to stop. Looking, Levi saw him exchange words with a rather stricken-looking soldier. Focusing more on the building itself as they slowly drove up, Levi could see human forms flitting between the windows, the whole building looking akin to a kicked-over anthill. Following the cues of their Amestrian allies, Levi and his soldiers disembarked the transport after it stopped just sort of the entrance to the building.

"State your business," a soldier at the door demanded.

"Colonel Roy Mustang," Mustang said directly. "I have critical intelligence regarding the giants that needs to be heard by Lieutenant General Grumman as soon as possible."

"Very well," the soldier said, nodding. "General Grumman is in his office upstairs, second door on your right."

While they walked through the building, Armin saw numerous soldiers running around, some carrying messages in their hands, frantically reporting to others. Some were at their desks, holding strange devices up to their ears and talking into them as another moved their fingers across another strange machine that was slowly unrolling a large piece of paper. Soon, they were standing before a polished oak door adorned with a sign reading "Lieutenant General Gregory Grumman." Colonel Mustang knocked on the door and a short moment after, heard a voice telling him to come in.

"Colonel Mustang," General Grumman said in an amazed tone. "We were told that you'd died at Emell."

"Rumors of my death are greatly exaggerated," Colonel Mustang replied affably. "It's good to see you again, General Grumman."

"Were that it were under better circumstances," Grumman said sadly. "As we speak, New Optian is under attack by the giants. We've also received reports of attacks on Little Emell, Kherson, and Brionn by stragglers from the main horde."

"General Grumman," Mustang began formally. "Have you been informed of what occurred in Liore to precipitate this situation?"

"I remember being told it had something to do with a priest and a portal, yes," General Grumman replied with a nod.

"My men and I went on a mission across this portal," Mustang continued. "General, there's an entire other world on the other side. These people with me," he said, gesturing toward Captain Levi. "Have come with me so as to share their expertise in dealing with the titan blight."

"I have a hard time believing Johnston would agree to something like that," General Grumman said with a slight, mischievous grin.

"Colonel Greene didn't sign off on it, no," Colonel Mustang admitted. "However, he fell at Emell, and we can't continue to fight the titans blindly. We need experts, sir, and I have them."

"Don't keep me in suspense, Mustang," Grumman said with a laugh. "Introduce us!"

"I'm Captain Levi of the Survey Corps," Levi said with a salute. "The lady to my left is Squad Leader Hange Zoe, she spearheads our research on the titans."

"Pleased to meet you!" Zoe said cheerily. "Have you gotten any reports of abnormals? Have you taken any alive?"

"I have no idea what counts as abnormal when you're talking about man-eating giants," General Grumman said with a chuckle. "As for taking prisoners…no, I'm afraid we haven't. We've had a difficult enough time killing the damn things. Who are the other three?"

"I'm Cadet Eren Jaeger, sir," Eren said, saluting.

"Cadet Armin Arlert, at your service, sir," Armin said a little loudly.

"Cadet Mikasa Ackerman, General," Mikasa said, adding a slight bow to her normal salute.

"Pleased to meet you all," Grumman replied kindly. "Odd that your military has people so young, Captain Levi."

"Begging your pardon, sir," Captain Levi replied. "But the normal conscription age for us is twelve. Having fifteen year-old cadets is not unusual for us."

"Conscription?" Grumman asked, narrowing his eyes a little. "Not a volunteer military, I take it."

"No sir," Levi responded. "Those who don't make it past cadet training work the fields or pursue other trades."

"How long have you been dealing with these giants?" Grumman asked seriously.

"The titans," Captain Levi said in a somewhat detached voice. "Appeared a little over a hundred years ago, on our world. They've nearly driven mankind to extinction."

"Sounds like your situation is even more dire than ours."

"We've developed ways of fighting them," Captain Levi continued. "Our omni-directional mobility gear and flesh paring blades have been our best tools, outside the Walls and our cannons, against the titans, that we've found."

"Is there anything specific you or your men can share with us, Captain Levi?" Grumman asked, scratching his chin.

"As I understand it," Captain Levi began. "Only Colonel Mustang and his troops know about the titans' weak spot."

"They have a weak spot?" Grumman asked happily.

"Indeed, they do," Captain Levi continued. "From the back of the head to the nape of the neck, ten centimeters wide and one meter across. Take that out, and a titan stays dead."

"I don't know how most of our people would be able to manage that," Grumman said, stroking his mustache. "We could try explosives, but getting them on to the giants in the first place would be suicidal, at best. Alchemists would stand a better chance. If he weren't insane and in prison, I'd almost wish we had the Crimson Alchemist on call."

"Kimblee?" Mustang asked, shocked. "I'll admit, he'd be useful, if he wouldn't just as soon kill our own men."

"Colonel," General Grumman said, nodding toward Mustang. "You might be our best bet, when it comes to killing these things, aside from Captain Levi and his troops. You've got the firepower and precision we need to handle these things. However, I do have an idea…"

"What might that be, General?" Mustang asked with a curious look.

"I hear the Briggs soldiers have been working on some new weapons to fight Drachma, should they get the courage to attack us," Grumman responded. "Maybe, I could talk Major General Armstrong into sending some our way, give them some proper field testing."

Lieutenant Colonel Armstrong was conflicted about potentially seeing his sister again. Knowing her, she'd end up coming herself, with a full contingent of soldiers, because she doesn't trust the mettle of anyone not from Briggs, not that he could really blame her. Briggs men were renowned for their hardiness and steadfast loyalty to his sister. Word had it that each Briggs soldier was worth an entire platoon of regular Amestrian soldiers. He also knew that Olivier was…less than happy with him, viewing him as little more than a coward for his performance during the Ishvalan Civil War. However, Alex couldn't help but love his sister, and having her here would bolster his spirit.

"That sounds like a good idea, General," Alex said quietly to Grumman. "My sister and her men would be an invaluable asset."

"You have a sister?" Ed asked, shocked.

"Olivier Mira Armstrong," Alex said with a hint of pride. "She commands the soldiers stationed in the north, in the Briggs Mountains."

"Briggs commander…" Ed ruminated on the moniker for a moment, before he made the connection. "I remember, now! I think I've heard of her, she's supposed to be one of the best generals in the whole army! Er," Ed stumbled, looking apologetically to General Grumman. "No offense, General Grumman."

"None taken!" Grumman said with a laugh. "I'll gladly admit that beautiful bear of a woman is better than me! Certainly more attractive."

"Looks like we have a plan of action," Captain Levi began, looking around the office. "What should the rest of us do in the meantime?"

"I mean no offense, Captain Levi," Grumman replied. "But, you and your soldiers are strategic assets of inestimable value. Sending you to the front lines would be unwise even _if_ we weren't fighting man-eating giants. I'll need you and yours, along with Colonel Mustang and his troops, to remain here in Eastern Command and provide whatever assistance you can until General Armstrong arrives with her men."

"Should we reinforce the city?" Al asked in a serious tone.

"My men have already begun on the other side of town," Grumman affirmed with a nod. "Fullmetal, you and your brother should go out and assist the other alchemists with walling off the city. Colonel Mustang," Grumman continued, turning to the man. "I ask that you and your men give these boys whatever backup they need while they do so. We don't know when these titans will be on us, so I want everyone on the ready."

"Do you expect your other city to fall?" Captain Levi asked in a curious tone.

"I hope it doesn't," Grumman replied with a sigh. "But, we have to prepare, in case it does. Better to have defenses in place and not need them than to be attacked while we're all sitting around waiting."

"I have a question for you, if you don't mind, Captain Levi," Colonel Mustang began.

"Go ahead."

"Would you permit an engineering and alchemy team to inspect your ODM gear?" Colonel Mustang continued carefully. "If we could replicate it, or even just the propellant, we could at least help maintain your gear in case it gets damaged."

"I think I can allow that, given the circumstances," Captain Levi said with a nod. "Squad Leader, please take the cadets with Colonel Mustang, let them study Cadet Arlert's gear."

"What should I do in the meantime, sir?" Armin asked the Captain with a hint of trepidation.

"You'll return here and assist General Grumman and I with planning the defenses for East City," Levi responded, turning toward Grumman. "If that is acceptable, General."

"Of course!" Grumman replied happily. "Whatever aid you can provide would be invaluable, Captain Levi."

"Very well," Captain Levi replied with a nod. "Squad Leader, you'll remain with the study team along with Cadets Ackerman and Jaeger. Provide them with whatever information they require. Your orders are to protect them, should they need to evacuate when the titans arrive."

"Understood, Captain," Hange replied in an uncharacteristically serious tone, saluting.

"Dismissed."

"If you'll follow me," Colonel Mustang started, waving Hange and the cadets to the door. "I'll take you to the engineering wing."

"Do you know where it is, Colonel?" Grumman asked.

"There's a map of the building outside your door, sir," Colonel Mustang replied simply.

"Aah!" Grumman replied with a laugh. "I forgot about that! Then, by all means, Colonel, don't let me keep you!"

Colonel Mustang nodded, leading the group out of the General's office. That had been a very…interesting meeting, to say the least. He'd halfway expected to be branded a deserter for his little stunt. It seemed that the rumours surrounding General Grumman were at least somewhat true. The old man was as eccentric as he was smart, something he definitely respected. Part of him wanted to head to New Optian and at least help the soldiers there retreat, but he understood Grumman's plan. There was no point in having soldiers retreat into an under-defended city. If they won the battle, then reinforcements could be sent in with relative safety to patch up the defenses and tend to the wounded, allowing them to use New Optian as a launching point for their offensive against the titan horde. It wasn't a bad plan, all things considered. He just hoped that it'd be enough.

 **Author's Notes**

This one took a little while, didn't it? Writer's block is a pain, lemme tell ya. For those wondering why a "one or two day" estimate turned to around a 2 hour drive, there's a couple of reasons. One, Mustang originally thought that he'd have to drive _around_ the titan horde, likely heading around to Eastern Command, or even Central, from the north. Two, I honestly miscalculated the distance last time, so I was off by a factor of ten. Using the map I found, I couldn't really get an accurate scale since I had to clumsily hold a ruler to my monitor to measure distance…and I input the numbers into my calculator wrong, because I am a derp. That said, it was nice giving those three a chance to see something beyond the Walls, fulfilling a life-long dream for at least two of them. Plus, now that they've had a taste, they'll want more, and that'll only make them fight harder.

 **TheWritingGirl23** : I am trying to slow things down a bit, but…well, honestly, I'm still learning. Just don't want to turn what's ostensibly a horror/action story into a tonne of daily minutiae interspersed with horror and/or action. Just trying to find the right ratio, ya know?

Anywho, that's about it for now. I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Six of _The Greater Evil_ , Cooperation! Take care!


	6. Cooperation

**The Greater Evil**

Chapter Six: Cooperation

Eren walked out of General Grumman's office, quietly closing the door behind him and stretching his arms. He was never really good at the tactical stuff Armin was discussing with Colonel Mustang and General Grumman. He trusted his friend to make the right calls, Armin was the smartest person he knew. As for himself, Eren wasn't used to sitting around a lot, it made his muscles ache with disuse. After spending so long getting used to the load ODM gear put his body under, anything less tended to fill him with a lot of tension.

"General Grumman did say I had free reign of the place, so long as I didn't get in the way or stray outside into the city itself," Eren muttered to himself, looking at the map. "I think I'll go to the back yard. Might not be able to practice with my gear, but at least I can get moving."

Ed and Al had excused themselves a few minutes before Eren had, he had a feeling that they didn't like staying in one place too much, either. Maybe he'd run into them…if nothing else, they were interesting people. Ed had seemed oddly willing to open himself up when they were near Trost. Maybe Ed trusted him. If so, it'd be a nice change of pace from everyone outside Mikasa and Armin casting him sideways glances. Well, the Squad Leader wasn't doing that, but instead, she shot him looks of fascinated curiosity, as if she were about five seconds from turning him into a research subject…in the nicest possible sense of the term. Walking out into the yard, the light of the afternoon sun beat against his face. It was a little cooler from last time, but still a lot hotter than to what he'd been accustomed. That was when Eren caught sight of Ed and Al, quite obviously sparring off to one side.

"Hey, Eren!" Ed called, signaling a halt to the sparring.

"Hey, Ed," Eren said, walking over to the duo. "Were you guys training?"

"Yeah," Ed replied, stretching out a bit. "It's something our teacher taught us: healthy body, healthy mind. Can't wait for the day I beat this bucket of bolts, though," Ed added, affectionately tapping his brother on the stomach.

"Mind if I join in?" Eren asked hesitantly.

"Sure," Ed said with a laugh. "I'll need a few minutes to rest, though. Al really put me through the wringer, this time. Maybe you'll fare better than I did."

"I guess we'll see," Eren replied, getting in the ready stance he'd remembered Annie using during their training. "Whenever you're ready, Al!"

"Here I come!" Al called, running towards Eren.

Al was almost ludicrously quick for the size of his body. Eren was nearly immediately caught off-guard by his speed and agility. Al spun around a quick right jab from Eren, bringing his forearm crashing between Eren's shoulder blades. Had he not had an instant to prepare his body for the strike, Eren might have been knocked off his feet by the force of the blow alone. It seemed Al was every bit as strong as he was fast. Thinking quickly, Eren brought his elbow backwards hard, straight into the small of Al's back, sending the armour tumbling forward. Sensing an opportunity, Eren brought his leg up and brought it down, aiming at Al's right leg. Al rolled quickly to the side, getting up and dodging the blow as it landed with a solid thud into the ground, leaving Eren in a rather awkward stance. Seizing the opening, Al grabbed Eren around the torso and hefted the young man up before slamming him to the ground on his back.

"Damn," Eren ground out in pain. "You weren't kidding, Ed. He's good."

"Thank you!" Al said happily. If Ed didn't know any better, he'd swear Al had almost found a way to make steel blush.

"Mind if I try?" Eren heard from behind them.

"Mikasa?" Eren asked, seeing who was approaching the trio. "What are you doing here?"

"I needed the exercise," Mikasa said simply. "That, and Captain Levi said I should keep an eye on you."

"Be careful, Mikasa," Eren said as the two passed one another, Eren heading to sit next to Ed for some rest. "Al's a lot faster than he looks."

"Thanks, Eren," Mikasa replied quietly with a hint of a smile.

"Whenever you're ready," Al said to Mikasa with a bow.

What followed was less a war and more a battle of attrition. Few blows were actually landed, though Ed could see that, after a few minutes, Al stopped holding back entirely. Mikasa was proving to be every bit as dexterous as Alphonse, if not more so, and her technique often saw her almost gliding past Al's attacks.

"Damn," Ed said, his eyes wide. "She's good. I don't think anyone's put Al through his paces like this."

"Well," Eren said fondly as Mikasa leapt on to Al's arm to dodge a blow. "She _did_ graduate top of our class."

"I thought that was mostly to learn how to use your gear," Ed began, cocking his head slightly.

"That was the big part of it, yeah," Eren replied, recalling fondly his time spent training to kill titans. "But, we also had classes on hand-to-hand combat and small unit tactics, along with a _lot_ of physical conditioning."

"Yeah," Ed responded, looking at Eren's gear. "That stuff can't be easy on your muscles…at least, not if you don't want to go tumbling ass over teakettle."

"I still remember the early days, during training," Eren reminisced with a small sigh. "I used to get massive cramps all the time. I even knocked myself out for nearly a day, one time, when a leg cramp sent me face-first into a tree."

"Ouch," Ed replied with a wince. "That had to hurt."

"I've had worse," Eren said with a shrug.

"Looks like Al finally wore down your friend," Ed said, turning back to see Al pinning Mikasa on her back. "Always ends up doing that…"

"Doesn't he ever get tired?" Eren asked, getting up and wincing slightly at the pins-and-needles sensation in his leg.

"Not anymore," Ed said somewhat sadly. "Doesn't eat, doesn't sleep…he can keep going when the rest of us are too tired to even move."

"I want a rematch," Mikasa said breathlessly as Al helped her up. "Once I've rested enough."

"Sure," Al replied gladly. "You're really good, Mikasa. I bet I could learn a lot from you."

"I wonder what's taking them so long," Ed said as his brother and newfound friends sat outside, watching the sky as the sun descended.

"The last thing I heard," Mikasa began. "Was them planning out supply lines and evacuation routes. Oh, and they'd received word from Major General Armstrong in Briggs, said they'd be here by morning."

"Briggs soldiers work fast, don't they?" Ed mused. "Just as well, we'll need everything we can get our hands on to fight those things."

"Are these Briggs guys really that good?" Eren asked, turning to Ed.

"I haven't really met any, myself," Ed admitted. "But, I've heard lots of rumours about them. Supposedly, one of their men is worth twenty regular soldiers. Their loyalty to their leader is apparently unwavering, which is a good thing for us. The last thing we need in a crisis is for our heavy-hitters to start bucking their commands."

"Sounds a bit odd coming from you, brother," Al said with a note of curiosity.

"Just because I have my disagreements with Mustang," Ed replied with a little heat. "Doesn't mean I don't understand the importance of protocol, especially during a crisis. Without it, things get fragmented and confused, and that's how a crisis turns into a catastrophe."

"Well," a voice said from behind them. "Glad to see you at least have an understanding of what I go through, Fullmetal."

"Colonel Mustang," Ed said, a little embarrassed. "What's the situation?"

"As good as can be expected," Mustang replied with a heavy sigh. "From the reports we got, the larger cities, the ones with the most alchemists, are managing to keep the titans out, now that said alchemists are being forced to pay attention to where they build," he spat. "However, it's little more than a stalemate without something to give us an edge so we can force back the line. It doesn't help that our scouting parties are reporting that more titans have started coming from Liore. General Grumman's already gotten orders out for the city's alchemists to be conscripted to wall the city off. He says that we've done enough for the time being," Mustang said hastily, seeing Ed start to get up. "And has all but ordered that we rest in a nearby hotel…said the barracks wasn't good enough for 'such gallant soldiers.'"

"A hotel?" Eren said, cocking his head in confusion. "Is that like an inn or something?"

"More or less," Ed replied. "Wouldn't that pose a security risk, though? Not that I expect assassins or anything, but wouldn't putting us up in a hotel be risky?"

"That's basically what I asked Grumman," Mustang said with a laugh. "Apparently, it's one that the state runs for higher-ups and the occasional dignitary. I hear it's the best hotel in the East."

"Mints on the pillows?" Ed asked, smiling.

"Got a spa, too," Mustang replied, his face growing mischievous. "Who knows…maybe I'll find a cute masseuse and hit it off with her. Anyway," he continued, turning back to the door. "We'll be leaving in an hour. Meet us in the front courtyard when you're ready."

"Pervert," Ed said quietly as Mustang walked away. "Still, at least we'll get a hot shower out of the deal and something good for dinner. I dunno about you guys, but I'm starving."

"What's a…shower?" Mikasa asked as they walked thru Eastern Command.

"And what kind of things do hotels have to eat?" Eren added.

"A shower's basically a standing bath," Ed said to Mikasa. "Though, they likely have regular baths, as well. As for food," he continued, his mouth watering with the images coming into his mind. "A place like that would have almost anything. Steak au poivre, deviled eggs, imperial longfin…" Ed paused, his stomach letting out an audible growl. "And I think I'll leave it at that before my stomach kills me."

"They have meat?" Eren asked hopefully. "Like…real, actual _meat_?"

"Of course," Ed replied as they neared the front desk. "Do you guys not have meat where you come from? I noticed all of your rations were bread and vegetables."

"We do," Mikasa said, seeing Armin at the front door. "But supplies have been critically low since we lost Wall Maria five years ago. Nowadays, it's something mostly nobles, MPs, and officers eat."

"Better keep Sasha away from this world," Eren remarked, laughing. "She'd go insane."

"Insane from what?" Armin asked as he joined them at the front door.

"From all the food they have at the hotel we're going to be staying at," Eren replied, still smirking.

"Oh yeah," Armin responded, a smile forming on his face. "She wouldn't even know where to begin, we'd probably have to keep her head from exploding."

The quintet laughed as they walked out the door, enjoying the reprieve they'd been granted. Ed could tell that Eren was ready to fight the titans, but the promise of good food and some nice creature comforts appealed to him as much as everyone. Going by the look on the faces of the rest of the group as they piled into the large car the military had prepared for them, Ed could tell that they were looking forward to this, too. It'd been almost nonstop since Liore, going from one massacre to the next…they'd barely had any time to rest. From what he gathered, Ed was sure that General Grumman could sense that the group was badly frayed and extremely exhausted, despite the rest they'd gotten in the other world, hence why he'd ordered them to the best hotel in the region. Comfort and relaxation would help soothe them. Exhausted soldiers were more likely to make mistakes, and mistakes cost lives. When they would next fight the titans, they'd be rested, fed, and most importantly, calm.

The hotel was an impressive building to say the least. A large, wide building with four floors and a marble fountain in the front gave off a feeling of austere peace. The front doors wrought from fine mahogany, with stained glass panels inset in both of them with the letters E and H inlaid in gold filigree.

"Welcome to Everett Hotel and Spa," the lady at the desk, an attractive, young woman with short, brown hair, dark eyes, and a soft face said as the group entered the front doors. "My name is Margery and you must be the renowned Flame Alchemist, Colonel Mustang."

"I see my reputation precedes me," Colonel Mustang said with a theatrical bow. "Nothing too terrible, I hope."

"Not at all, sir!" Margery replied with a light laugh. "General Grumman called ahead of you, we've got several rooms prepared for you and your group, Colonel. You'll have free use of the spa as well as anything you want from our dining hall. If you'll follow me, sir."

"Of course," Mustang replied, grinning. "Lead on."

A short tour of the hotel later, and the group was sitting in the dining hall, making conversation and deciding what to eat.

"Have any of you guys been here?" Havoc asked around. "I'm not sure what's good and what isn't."

"According to General Grumman," Mustang replied, sitting his menu down. "It's all good."

"That makes it easier," Havoc replied sarcastically. "I guess I'll just go with the fish and chips, keep it simple."

"I'll go with the steak and jacket potatoes," Eren said enthusiastically.

Soon, they all made their orders. Levi's group, even the reserved Captain himself and Mikasa, were enjoying the excellent food. In the back of his mind, Eren was morose. The last time he'd had a meal that came anywhere near to what he was eating now was before the titans took Wall Maria, when his mother was still alive. Even now, with the burning purpose of killing every last titan in existence in his heart, Eren still missed his parents. Part of him couldn't wait to get back into the fray, to start killing titans again. He'd made it into the Survey Corps, he'd even made it to another world! But, still, the titan blight remained. As long as a single of those monsters drew breath, he'd have purpose. He might not see them gone in his lifetime, but Eren vowed that he'd take as many with him as he could before he died.

Mikasa hadn't enjoyed something like this in a while. Even if for a moment, it felt like what life used to be like for the young woman, when she was a girl. Just eating with friends and family, hearing them chat away about frivolous things. Other than Eren and Armin, this was the biggest reason she fought the titans: so that one day, a family could have a meal without the threat of being devoured alive. That one day, humans could get back on their feet and take back what had been stolen from them. With the strange people of Amestris, this goal seemed at least achievable, if far-flung. The fact that they managed to kill a number of titans, even come close to holding them off, so soon after having their world invaded was a good sign, in her book, and she was willing to take whatever she could get, when it came to potentially ending the titan scourge.

It'd been an eventful day for Armin Arlert. Coming to a new world, seeing things he'd only read about in books…being singled out by none other than Captain Levi himself to aid in formulating a strategy with General Grumman and Colonel Mustang to reinforce New Optian and shore up defenses in East City. As the Colonel remarked earlier during the planning meeting, it was all just a holding maneuver until the Briggs soldiers arrived with their weapons. Truth be told, he'd enjoyed his time in this strange new world. Even with the threat of the titans looming over him, Armin couldn't help but relax as he stretched out in his unbelievably large, and exceptionally comfortable, bed, that night. Showers were fascinating, and having hot water on demand was a luxury he doubted even nobles could get their hands on. They were as prepared as they could be, now was the time to relax, to let the tension ease itself away while still remaining alert. A rested soldier was a soldier that was more likely to come home alive. Stretching out beneath the thick blankets, Armin let himself drift peacefully off to sleep, knowing that this may well be the last real rest he gets in a long time.

 **Author's Notes**

Been a bit of a while coming, but here it is! A chapter of development and interaction! This one came slow as molasses, but it was worth it, and I hope you guys agree! Next one will feature the arrival of the Briggs soldiers and that wonderful bear of a woman, General Armstrong. Yes, I love General Armstrong, because she does. NOT. Fuck. Around. Writing her will be a true pleasure. I'll catch you guys next time for Chapter Seven of _The Greater Evil_ , Arrival of the Ice Queen! Take care!


	7. Arrival of the Ice Queen

**The Greater Evil**

Chapter Seven: Arrival of the Ice Queen

The early morning hours had been blissfully uneventful as the party quietly ate their breakfast in the hotel's dining hall. In fact, were it not for the uniforms and titan threat, one would've been forgiven for thinking this was merely a gathering of friends, an outing to the East. Alas, the hour came when Colonel Mustang signaled for them to depart the warm hospitality of the hotel and take the cars awaiting them at the entrance back to Eastern Command. Mikasa was the first of their group to notice the large, metal behemoth sitting on the front lawn of Eastern Command, and she let out a quiet gasp at the figure it cut in the morning sun, its dull, hard metal contrasting with the gleaming marble of the headquarters.

"Whoa," Eren breathed, looking at the machine. "What's _that_?!"

"Your guess is as good as mine," Ed replied in a quiet tone, amazed and somewhat frightened of the steel monstrosity sitting on its two long lengths of treads. "Must be something from Briggs."

"Looks like General Armstrong is waiting for us," Colonel Mustang said, looking at the entry to Eastern Command.

To Ed's eye, General Olivier Mira Armstrong cut almost as imposing a figure as the armoured weapon of destruction she'd brought with her. Her posture was straight as a steel beam and her shoulders were squared back. Her hands rested neatly on the hilt of her sword, which she had placed slightly in front of her, adding to her intimidating aura. Her long, blonde hair rested in neat lines down her back and her hard, blue eyes stared at the approaching cars with a mixture of carefully measured neutrality and mild disdain. That look of disdain grew as she saw her brother emerge from the car behind the one Ed had come from. As they walked up to the woman who, for all her movement, could've been a porcelain statue, Alex walked ahead calmly, but with a hint of shame, to his sister.

"Dear sister," he began in a sombre tone. "I wish we were meeting under better circumstances."

"No bombastic entry?" General Armstrong asked, a sour look on her face. "You might cut it as a soldier, after all."

"You wound me, sister," Alex replied with a hint of an edge in his voice.

"What happened to your eye?" General Armstrong inquired in a direct manner, plainly looking at her brother's eyepatch.

"I lost it when the titans overran Emell," Alex responded, placing a hand where his eye used to be.

"Do you still plan to fight them? Or are you going to run away again?"

"Of course I'm going to fight," Alex replied without hesitation, genuine anger creeping into his voice. "These monsters threaten our people, I will not sit idly by while they devour innocents."

"Angry?" General Armstrong scoffed. "You lost all right to pride when you showed yourself to be a coward in Ishval, you disgrace."

"I don't have time for this," Alex said, his face contorting into an almost frightening scowl. "If all you're going to do insult me, I'll talk to one of your subordinates and see if your men need help. If you'll excuse me," he continued, walking angrily past his sister, nearly shoulder checking her in the process.

"What the hell was that all about?" Ed asked Colonel Mustang in a less than discrete manner. "I don't think I've ever seen the Major that mad, before."

"Your brother," Colonel Mustang said, glaring at General Armstrong. "Watched his comrades get eaten alive at Emell, _General_ ," he spat. "You may not be my subordinate, but I highly recommend you treat him with the respect he's earned; he saved countless lives when we were forced to retreat from that nightmare."

"And here I was," General Armstrong said, giving Colonel Mustang a long, measuring look. "Thinking you Southern men were all weak and spineless. You might be worth something, after all."

"I've said my piece," Colonel Mustang said, walking up to the entryway. "I believe General Grumman will want to talk to us all together, General Armstrong."

"Very well," she responded with a nod.

The walk to General Grumman's office felt as though it'd taken an eternity. The tension was thick in the air, and it wasn't solely due to the imminent battle. That Major General Armstrong would be so cold to her brother…it was unconscionable. As the party closed the door behind them, General Grumman set about to business, walking to a map of Amestris that had red pins stuck in several cities in the East.

"I'll be blunt," General Grumman said gravely. "The situation is grim. Our scouts, as well as survivors, have reported that we've lost a total of fourteen towns since Liore. Many of them were smaller towns, such as Henz, Coomb, and Little Emell. Reports say that these smaller towns have either been evacuated or annihilated," pointing to a city to the east of New Optian, General Grumman continued. "Alibri fell to the titans last night, a group of abnormals managed to create a hole in the wall they'd erected, and Istaniv shortly thereafter by a rogue cluster that bypassed Alibri completely. As it stands, New Optian is almost totally surrounded by the advancing titan horde. What's worse," he said, his head lowered as he pointed to a city to the west of New Optian. "We lost communications with Arieseni as of four hours ago. All attempts to restore communication have failed and, pending a report from our scouts, we are operating under the assumption that it has been overrun."

"Giving those monsters a clear shot to head into Central's territory," Mustang ground out. "What else?"

"They're advancing at a very rapid pace," General Grumman answered, closing his eyes for a moment. "We can't request any reinforcements from the Youswell garrison as they're currently engaged with the titan cluster that wiped out Yaswell. We know they've gone as far north as Eissler; reports from Central Command state that communication with them was lost sometime yesterday. However, their advance seems mostly concentrated here in the East, heading south and west, likely towards Central."

"Titans do appear to favour warmer climates," Hange remarked. "And, some abnormals aside, they prefer to attack areas where there are high concentrations of people. Since Central is your largest city, it's safe to assume that's their ultimate destination. However, they _will_ kill everything in their path, first. That means," she paused for a second, scanning the map. "That the areas that are most likely to be attacked next are here, in East City, and Antalya. However, we can't assume those are the only targets. It is also likely that a sizeable number of them will make their way towards Lali from Istaniv, which you've marked here as lost."

"That means," Ed said in a sick tone as a horrible realization hit him. "That…they have an almost straight shot for Resembool!"

"Unless we find a way to push back against them," General Grumman confirmed with a nod. "General Armstrong?"

"My men and I have brought some of our experimental weapons from Briggs," General Armstrong began in a firm, formal tone. "A tank and several rocket-propelled grenade launchers, as well as a large quantity of other explosives including land mines and satchel charges. From the reports, I gather that explosives are our most powerful weapon against these creatures, so I've ordered that our tank crew come prepared with as much high-explosive ammunition as we could carry, as well as explosive and incendiary rounds for our small arms."

"Incendiary," Ed began, a lightbulb clicking on in his head. "General Armstrong, do your men have mortar equipment?"

"We do," General Armstrong confirmed. "What do you have planned?"

"If we have any spare mortar shells here," Ed started, bolstered by General Grumman's confirmatory nod. "We could use alchemy to retrofit them with a white phosphorous payload. We couldn't use it in populated areas, but if we're shelling a group outside the city, we could use it to incinerate them if we run out of standard incendiary ammunition. The explosive charge inside would be enough to ignite the white phosphorous, creating a cloud that lights anything it touches on fire."

"But, brother," Al interrupted, clearly worried. "Wouldn't that leave behind poisonous gas?"

"It would," Ed replied with a nod. "That's why we wouldn't use it anywhere there's people. The gas would dissipate over time, but would likely be a health risk for a day or more after a concentrated shelling of the target area. Besides, the gas might slow the titans down long enough for one of us to get a shot at them. Colonel," Ed continued, turning to look at Mustang. "If we actually do this, do _not_ use your flame alchemy in a place that's been shelled."

"The gas would explode violently," Mustang said, finishing Ed's thought for him. "It's a good idea, Fullmetal. We could use something like that to wipe out titans before they get to any populated areas, provided the area isn't wooded. Wouldn't do to end up killing our people with a wildfire while trying to save them from being devoured."

"But," Hange interjected. "That wouldn't destroy the weak spot, only burn away the flesh. They'd still rebuild after about two minutes."

"That's two minutes' breathing room," Ed answered, turning to the Squad Leader. "That our soldiers would have where they aren't moving to destroy them with conventional explosives like satchel charges, grenades, and explosive mortar shells."

"You think on your feet rather well, runt," General Armstrong said with a light hint of approval.

"I am not a runt," Ed ground out angrily.

"Ed being called small without him completely blowing his stack," Colonel Mustang remarked, giving a sideways glance to Edward. "We have truly witnessed a miracle."

"I have more important things to worry about," Ed said icily. "Like keeping what little family I have left in Resembool from being eaten alive, _Colonel_."

"Sorry, Ed," Colonel Mustang said with a sigh, scratching the back of his neck. "That was uncalled for, I apologize."

"Its fine," Ed said, slumping into the nearest chair. "More to the point, what defenses does the north have other than the Briggs soldiers? The titans might move more slowly in the cold, but they're still moving that direction, we can't assume they'll change tack, they don't seem smart enough for such a thing."

"I've left Captain Buccaneer in charge of the Fort in my absence," General Armstrong responded, giving the map a long look. "I've also sent standing orders to evacuate the towns along the eastern edge of our territory. The civilians are heading to the western territory while military personnel not directly overseeing them are to be stationed in North City, Victoria Valley, and Briggs. We've got several skilled alchemists in the area who have been conscripted and are working on creating a wall along the eastern side of the roads between those three cities or, failing that, checkpoints that can be used to ascertain the titans' movements with accuracy."

"While also allowing your troops and supplies to move more efficiently," General Grumman added with an approving nod. "I'm impressed, General Armstrong. It looks like we have our plan, then," he continued, sitting back at his desk. "General Armstrong, do you have any men you'd trust in charge of providing reinforcements to New Optian?"

"I do," General Armstrong replied, straightening her posture slightly. "I will make arrangements when this meeting is adjourned to send a portion of my troops alongside yours to provide backup to the forces in New Optian. I also suggest you ready a force ahead of the reinforcements to screen our avenue of approach. If Istaniv has fallen, then it is safe to assume that there are titans on their way here as we speak, and we cannot afford to be ambushed."

"Good idea, General Armstrong," General Grumman replied with a smile. "I'll send orders to begin preparations immediately. Can your men be ready in four hours?"

"They will be," General Armstrong responded with a curt nod. "What of the rest of us?"

"The rest will remain here to garrison East City in preparation for the titan assault," General Grumman began, placing his chin on his hands. "Lieutenant Colonel Elric, Alphonse, I'd like you two to oversee the preparation of the modified mortar shells. I hope we don't have to use them, but it would be better to have them and not need them than to need them and not have them."

"Understood, sir," Edward replied with a salute.

"Ladies and gentlemen," General Grumman said, standing up. "You have your orders. Captain Levi, I expect you'll have your soldiers ready for the coming battle, as well?"

"We will be ready when the time comes, General Grumman," Captain Levi replied with a salute.

"Don't think I'll ever get used to that strange salute of yours," Grumman said with a small laugh. "Very well then, you all know what you need to do and where you need to be. Dismissed!"

Deep within the bowels of Central, a middle-aged man in a flowing, white robe sat on a large, iron chair connected to a mountain of metal pipes and cables, his blonde, bearded chin resting on his right hand. He had not heard from his agents since the fuss started in Liore. While that wasn't the way he'd planned to carve the circle of blood, the fact of the matter was that it had been accomplished. Just then, three people walked into the poorly-lit room: a tall, sultry woman with long, dark hair, a short, rotund man with blank eyes and a hungry expression on his face, and an androgynous-looking person with long, lank black hair and a bored look.

"Lust, Gluttony, Envy," Father began, looking at his creations, his homunculi. "What has taken you so long to report back? I expected you some time ago."

"Complications," Lust responded with slight hesitation. "Arose in Liore. The priest did something with the Philosopher's Stone we gave him, and a portal was created between our world and one inhabited with man-eating giants."

"One of them ate Lusty," Gluttony said in his eerily childlike voice. "But, she cut her way out of its stomach. Then, the scary giant healed and kept coming after us."

"I've heard as much from Wrath," Father replied in a serious tone. "He tells me that they're moving very quickly, despite the military's best efforts to contain them. They are proving to be a nuisance."

"Yeah," Envy said with a casual wave of his hand. "But, they won't disrupt anything. If anything, they'll be able to carve those nice circles of blood you wanted far faster than we could the subtle way."

"The circles of blood," Father said, narrowing his eyes at Envy. "Are useless if there are no people left to sacrifice."

"You know something we don't," Envy replied sourly.

"I know many things you don't," Father said closing his eyes. "Word has gotten back to me that the Flame Alchemist and his merry band of interlopers managed to go to the other world and retrieve other humans, people with experience fighting these…titans, they call them. One of the rumours floating around is that someone overheard one of their number saying that, in their world, humanity is nearly extinct. We cannot risk that happening here."

"What do you need us to do, Father?" Lust asked, curious to see where their Father was going with all this.

"For the moment," Father said, opening his eyes once more. "We watch, and we wait. Word has it that General Grumman in the east has called in reinforcements from Briggs and that General Armstrong has gone personally, leaving plans in place to defend the north from the giants' advance."

"Understood, Father," Lust replied with a bow, leading the other two out.

This was not good. These titans were advancing far faster than any enemy army this country had yet faced. He could not risk having his work undone, especially when he was so close to the finish line. He did not want to be forced into direct action, lest he tip his hand to…certain parties. However, if the battles continued to go as badly as they have up to this point, then he might need to send his homunculi to deal with this problem under the guise of being helpful. The more he thought about that option, the more realistic it seemed. While they would definitely question their nature, he could tell the little humans were desperate and, when humans were desperate, they wouldn't think twice about accepting help from anywhere they could get it. This could help his plans, even, allowing his homunculi to operate more easily and be above suspicion. There were still many variables that needed accounting for, however, and a pair of them were right in the front lines. For now, he opted to wait and watch. It would not do to reveal the existence of his agents unless it were absolutely necessary. Yes, patience was needed now. Patience.

 **Author's Notes**

Another chapter bites the dust! The buildup is almost complete, and shit's about to explode. As you can see, things are also being massively derailed for…certain parties in Amestris. As for the question from **Death of Snipers** , Mustang was only aware that it was a possibility, his worry about court martial due to friendly fire was secondary, at best. However, his desertion, at least, had a purpose behind it in that it was to aid in the war effort, giving him grounds to basically skate off that particular charge, whereas friendly fire is more cut-and-dried. Mustang was more bothered by accidentally killing his own men than by the thought of losing his career.

I'd like to take this time to thank those of you who've left your kind reviews and generally kept on reading my stuff. I know it's likely more than a little annoying with my markedly sporadic schedule, but rushing things never works out well, for me, and I don't want you guys to have to suffer thru a crappily-written chapter just because I was forcing myself to stick to a given schedule. As for my other stories (Interrupta Vitae, The Bardock Effect, and The Prince Ascendant), they're all still ongoing, it's just taking more time to get others out when compared to their compatriots. I promise, they're not dead…things just take a while, sometimes, ya know?

With that said, I believe I'll sign off here. Keep an eye out for Chapter Eight of _The Greater Evil_ , The Battle of New Optian! Take care!


	8. The Battle of New Optian

**The Greater Evil**

Chapter Eight: The Battle of New Optian

"Do you understand, Major Miles?" General Armstrong asked her subordinate.

"My men and I are to provide relief to the soldiers in New Optian," Miles repeated his General's orders. "If we can, we are to hold the line and push the titans back. If we are unable to achieve success in a reasonable amount of time, we are to retreat to prevent unnecessary casualties."

"You have your orders, Major Miles," General Armstrong stated firmly, swinging her arm forward. "Move out and good luck!"

"You heard the lady," a Briggs soldier yelled behind them, loading a crate of supplies into a large truck. "Finish packing and move out!"

Edward and the other alchemists had worked for hours on end, and Major Miles was impressed by their work. They'd managed to convert several hundred mortar rounds to white phosphorous payloads. As far as he was aware, they were still hard at work, making more rounds for the defense of Eastern Command. He didn't even need to talk to the young State Alchemist to know that he'd seen something truly horrifying when the titans took Liore and Emell. Based on reports he'd read, as well as intelligence gathered from the operatives Colonel Mustang's group had acquired from the other side of the portal, these titans ate humans for pleasure, often leaving their victims alive to die inside their stomachs...some by drowning, others by heat, and still more died even more slowly from infection. Knowing approximately how many people had suffered that horrifying fate, Major Miles steeled himself, readying his mind to fight the abominations that were threatening to overrun his home. Though Amestrians had been responsible for the near-genocide of his people, he knew better than to hate them all, or even just the entire military. Most of the people responsible were merely following the orders of their superiors, something he couldn't blame them for doing, as the Amestris military had never been very kind to those found guilty of insubordination.

Two hours after the order had been given, the troops and supplies were ready, the convoy heading out of the newly-created wall bordering East City. For the fifth time since they'd set out, Major Miles checked the machine gun bolted to the transport he was on. The red-tipped mercury fulminate explosive rounds were loaded properly and the gun's bolt was locked back, ready to strike down anything that dared attack them during their ordered rush towards New Optian. Looking down to his side, he noted the numerous metal boxes, each with a red stripe along their length, indicating they were stocked with yet more explosive ammunition. Altogether, they had over fifty thousand rounds of such bullets stocked for their heavy machine guns, another twenty thousand for their rifles and sub-machine guns, over two hundred rocket-propelled grenades, seven hundred white phosphorous mortar rounds, five hundred high-explosive mortar rounds, a massive crate of grenades, normal ammunition of all kinds, mines, and even a dozen experimental flamethrowers they'd brought from Briggs, spread across half a dozen large trucks, each with a heavy machine gun emplacement atop it, their operators keeping a weather eye for incoming titans. General Armstrong knew the threat of the titans from what she'd read, and she'd spared no expense in bringing every possible engine of death to bear against this threat to their nation. Though the tank was still parked near East City's northern exit, she'd ensured that Major Miles and his squadron were given enough firepower to, if nothing else, save the lives of those men and women who were holding New Optian.

"Remember, men," Major Miles yelled into the radio as they drove. "Aim between their shoulders! If we can take out their weak spot, then they stay down! Conserve your ammunition whenever possible and, most of all, stay calm! Do _not_ spray wildly into an oncoming horde! We are the cavalry! We are men of Briggs! We'll show these giants what it means to fight against our iron will!"

"Sir," the spotter behind him called out. "I'm counting five titans, at least ten meters tall, about two hundred and fifty meters to our three o'clock!"

"Titans," Major Miles relayed into the radio. "Three o'clock, two-five-zero meters! Two and Four, open fire!"

Behind him, Major Miles heard the machine guns spring to violent life, the brilliant white-orange of the tracers streaking down to the titans as the beasts turned, lumbering in their direction. The rounds worked as advertised, as each new one found its mark, they exploded, ripping flesh from bone and scything the titans down at the shoulder. Fifteen seconds' concentrated fire later, the guns lay silent, their barrels cooling in the desert air. The titans that had been bearing down on them erupted into clouds of steam and, moments later, were replaced by bleached, white skeletons. Major Miles could hear the men in the trucks behind him erupt into cheers. Their first sortie against these monsters had been a resounding success.

"Don't get cocky," Major Miles said calmly into the radio. "Those were just stragglers from the main body of the horde bearing down on New Optian! But, our brothers have five fewer titans to worry about when we arrive! Good work, men!"

Two eerily silent hours later, the convoy began hearing the muted sounds of faraway gunfire and explosions. Pressing hard on the gas, the drivers pushed their trucks as fast as they could go. As they crested the last hill before New Optian, they saw a sight that chilled them to the bone. A horde of titans, hundreds strong, was bearing down on the city's hastily-erected wall. The road leading in was blocked only for a minute or two, as someone atop the wall, possibly scouting for any incoming additions to the group they were facing, had seen them and ordered an opening be made for the incoming convoy.

"Aim for the main body of the horde," Major Miles ordered over the radio. "Kill or disable as many titans as you can and give us some breathing room! All trucks, open fire!"

Major Miles flipped the safety on his machine gun and aimed down the scope that'd been retrofitted on to it. Spotting a particularly tall titan, Major Miles trained his sights on its back, between its disturbingly broad shoulders and squeezed the trigger. In short, controlled bursts, Major Miles brought dozens of rounds to bear against the giant, ripping its weak spot apart and sending it tumbling backwards into its smaller comrades, crushing them, albeit temporarily, against its immense weight. Waiting not even a fraction of a second, he turned his gun and aimed for the next largest titan he could see and resumed his onslaught, pouring ammunition downrange, cutting titan after titan down with the explosive rounds his gun was spitting out. Minutes passed like days as the trucks sped towards the opening in the wall. Major Miles' truck was the first to pass through, parking itself just inside the wall, facing the opening. He turned the gun down to the opening, preparing to hose down any titan that tried to reach through. Moments later, the remaining trucks made it through the wall, which was hastily sealed shut. His spotter taking his place on the mounted gun, Major Miles leapt down from the supply truck approaching an extremely grateful-looking Captain as he rushed towards the reinforcements.

"Major!" the Captain cried out happily. "Are we glad to see you!"

"What's the situation?" Major Miles replied, not wanting to waste any more time than strictly necessary.

"We've managed to hold the line, so far," the unnamed Captain began. "No reports of damage to the wall, though...though, some of our men were caught by abnormals," he said in a sick voice, turning to the pile of large skeletons inside the wall. "Unfortunately, we don't have the firepower to turn the tide, and what supplies we do have are running dangerously low."

"That's why we're here, soldier," Major Miles said respectfully. "Get this ammunition to your men, tell them to aim between the giants' shoulders. Take that out, and they stay dead."

"Sir, with all due respect, I don't know how we can kill this many titans, even with all these explosives."

"How many men do you have left?" Major Miles asked, a plan forming in his mind.

"Just over a thousand total sir, but the titans only seem to be attacking this side of the wall, why do you ask?"

"Gather as many of your men as you can spare and have them wait behind the wall, fifty meters in front of me, just beside that shop," he began, nodding towards a butcher's shop he saw in the distance. "These monsters are attracted to high concentrations of people, so spread out your remaining soldiers and assemble five mortar crews, aiming just behind the wall. When I fire a flare into the sky, aim behind the wall and fire the white rounds into the horde."

"White rounds, sir?" the Captain asked, confused.

"Special rounds we brought from Eastern Command," Major Miles informed. "They're loaded with white phosphorous. They might not kill the monsters, but they'll burn them down to the bones. A stationary target is much easier to destroy than a moving one."

"Noted, sir," the Captain said, saluting. "Is there anything else?"

"Where," Major Miles said, looking around. "Are your commanding officers? I expected to be greeted by at least a Colonel."

"Colonel Jackson was left in charge after Brigadier General Kalt led the evacuation forces out of the city," the Captain stated, his voice growing a bit sick. "But, the Colonel was one of the men killed by the abnormals that got over the wall, along with Major Beck, and I took charge of this section of troops. Captains Statler, Braun, James, and Delgado run other sections of the wall using their Lieutenants as messengers."

"So, each section works independently of the other?" Major Miles asked rhetorically. "That would allow you to act far more quickly and accurately, I'm impressed. While I am taking command of the forces here, I'll allow you Captains to continue acting as you have unless I specifically order otherwise. Now, get this plan into action, Captain...! What did you say your name was?"

"Sorry, sir!" he cried apologetically. "Captain Reynolds, reporting for duty, sir!"

"Right, Captain Reynolds," Major Miles continued, looking at the titans looming near the wall, their grotesque faces hungrily searching for soldiers to devour. "See to it!"

"Sir, yes sir!" Captain Reynolds said, saluting Major Miles and running off, distributing the orders to his men.

Walking over to where the mortar crews were grabbing their gear, Major Miles looked around to his surroundings. Spotting several buildings just taller than the wall, an idea came to him.

"Men," Major Miles barked to the assembled soldiers. "I want you to setup on these buildings to our west, the ones that overlook the wall. That should give you a clearer line of sight. Be careful where you fire these rounds! Aim for the centre rear of the horde, we do _not_ want the payloads reaching across the wall! You are to fire ten shells each and cover the horde. When they start burning, switch to high-explosive shells and bombard them! I want you men to reduce those giants to charred splinters, understood?"

"Yes sir!" the men said collectively as they rushed off, carrying boxes of both white- and red-striped boxes, binoculars, and mortar launchers.

It took just over two and a half hours to get everyone in position. Thus far, Major Miles' plan was working: the large group of soldiers hiding behind the wall were attracting the titans, concentrating them into one small, target-rich area. Standing atop a tall building with the mortar crews just behind him, Major Miles raised his arm into the air, a flare gun in his hand. Pulling the trigger, a brilliant strobe of red light shot into the air. Several agonizing seconds later, the first mortars began to cough, their rounds arcing high into the air before falling, right on target, and releasing their lethal contents. The air began to shimmer as it was filled with burning white phosphorous. Shortly thereafter, the sickening smell of burning flesh wafted over as the titans began to catch fire. For all their reaction, they might as well have shot them in the toes, the giants continued to lumber towards the wall, dumbly pushing past eachother in an attempt to get to the soldiers stationed safely behind the wall.

As the titans' flesh burned off their bones, they began slumping to the ground. There was a small delay, less than a minute, where the mortar crews let the titans burn down before they let their engines of destruction work their magic again, this time shelling the titans' smoldering skeletons with high-explosive rounds. From his vantage point, and through his binoculars, Major Miles could see as the ground became pockmarked as the rounds found their targets. The skeletons, still covered in glowing embers, were blown to pieces by the bombardment. Several minutes after the assault began, it ended with several soldiers, covered from head to toe in improvised protective gear and sporting gas masks, lobbed several grenades and fired several missiles into the titans that couldn't be destroyed by the shelling without damaging or possibly breaching the wall. Falling back to the rooftops, where machine gun emplacements were being set up, Major Miles and the New Optian regiment under Captain Reynolds waited. According to reports, titans would regenerate within two minutes if they were still alive. Sure enough, five minutes after the assault ended a few, perhaps no more than a dozen, titans stood up and began lumbering back towards the wall. Without even needing to signal them, Major Miles heard the machine guns start firing upon the titans, the explosive rounds biting into their shoulders, tearing them apart and destroying the stragglers once and for all.

"We..." Captain Reynolds said, twenty minutes after dust finally settled. "We actually did it! We actually beat those monsters!"

For the first time since he arrived, Major Miles allowed himself the pleasure of a smile. The plan he and his compatriots had concocted had worked far beyond his wildest expectations. Hundreds, probably as many as a thousand or more, titans now lay dead, far more than had ever been killed in any skirmish to date. Alchemical knowledge, intelligence gathering, and ingenuity had given Amestris her first true victory against the man-eating giants plaguing her. More than that, this would get to the visitors from the other side of the portal. They had the knowledge to help make killing these beasts far easier and his people had the technology to kill them in mass numbers. For the next several hours, the defenders of New Optian, emboldened by their success, obliterated the titans that had gone to other sections of the wall. In less than a day, New Optian and victory were secured. While the state of emergency was still in full force and the civilians were still not allowed to re-enter their home town, Amestris could now go on the offensive.

"We're all sad to see you go, Major Miles," Captain Reynolds said, saluting the Major as he prepared to return to Eastern Command to report his success as the phone lines had long since been destroyed by the titans. "You and your men saved our lives, we'll never forget you! Let's hear it for the men of Briggs!"

The soldiers of New Optian burst into cheers. Captain Reynolds had made it very clear that Briggs men were always welcome in New Optian as heroes, something Major Miles accepted graciously. Satisfied as the evening wore on, Major Miles returned with a small contingent of Briggs soldiers, the rest on standing orders from General Armstrong to act as long-term reinforcements to the New Optian garrison. The ride back home was a quiet one, allowing Major Miles' nerves to settle a little. He'd not been entirely sure the plan would work quite so well as it had, he'd expected greater resistance, more stragglers, but these titans seemed to lack even the most basic survival instincts. Given that the soldiers from the other side had said that titans, barring three notable exceptions, were completely mindless, that didn't surprise him, but Major Miles had had a hard time believing it until he'd witnessed it for himself. Titans drew no battle lines, displayed no tactical acumen, they relied solely on brute force, shock factor, and sheer numbers. While that worked well on a less advanced, less mobile military, one of Amestris' level was more than up to the task, especially with the large number of alchemists she could field to solve problems more rapidly than she could otherwise have been able.

A little over an hour later, as they neared East City, Major Mile's unit spotted a small group of titans heading south toward the city. One of the giants turned and faced them, its face stuck in a chilling grin, and that was the last thing it ever did. Aiming the machine gun towards the creature as it began to lumber in their direction, Major Miles opened fire, cutting the titan down before turning his mounted gun on its companions, cutting them off at the shoulder, destroying them. Major Miles stamped hard on the truck's bed, signaling the driver to accelerate, and order with which he complied, the truck lurching as the driver gunned the throttle. Major Miles' instincts were telling him that the attack on East City was imminent, if not already in progress. His comrades would need every bit of backup they could get. There were far more soldiers in East City, even after the evacuation, and the titans would be drawn to them like moths to a flame.

As they neared the wall, seeing a group of titans bearing down on them, a loud thud sounded from the side of the truck. Turning to see the source of the sound, Major Miles raised an eyebrow, a hook was gripping the side of his truck, a taut line attached to it. A human form streaked towards them, a hiss of gas saw a green blur shoot upwards, arcing up into the truck. Standing behind Major Miles was one of the soldiers from the other side, Captain Levi.

"I was asked that I get your report," Captain Levi said simply. "How did things go in New Optian?"

"We were successful," Major Miles began as they passed into the city, the driver continuing without hesitation towards Eastern Command. "The bulk of the titan force has been annihilated and our forces have been resupplied and are reinforcing their position to act as a bulwark against further northern movement of the titan horde. Several hundred titans were killed."

"Hundreds of titans in a few hours?" Captain Levi asked, visibly shocked. "Damn, now I owe Hange money... We're starting to see the beginnings of a horde bearing down here. Your General ordered your men to Eastern Command for a full debriefing."

"Acknowledged," Major Miles said with a nod as they neared the Command building. "Also, I want to thank you and your soldiers for your intelligence, Captain Levi. Destroying these monsters would've been much more difficult if we didn't know about their weakness."

"We're in this together," Captain Levi said with a nod. "I'm going to scout along the northern edge of the wall to see how many titans are coming our way. Godspeed."

With that, Captain Levi shot a hook into a nearby building, the momentum of the truck slinging him forward with a small burst of gas. Watching him smoothly pivot in midair and zip his way from building to building, Major Miles couldn't help but envy the man a little, that looked like fun. Focusing his eyes forward, the truck slid a little as they stopped, having reached Eastern Command, Major General Armstrong waiting at the fountain like a statue. Jumping down from the truck, Major Miles walked up to his General and gave her a firm salute.

"Report, Major Miles," General Armstrong said, her eyes questioning.

"Our force managed to destroy the titan forces attacking New Optian," Major Miles said formally, a hint of pride creeping into his voice. "Our weapons managed to destroy a force several hundred titans strong in a matter of hours. As ordered, I left the majority of our forces and the supplies we came with in New Optian to reinforce the garrison stationed there. We were victorious, General."

"Excellent, you've done very well, Major Miles," General Armstrong said, a pleased smile finding its way on to her face. "How did the new mortars work against the giants?"

"Permission to speak candidly, ma'am?"

"Granted, Major."

"We need to give those boys medals," Major Miles said frankly. "Their white phosphorous shells worked far beyond our best expectations and burned the titans to the ground, making them much easier to kill. If they hadn't come up with that plan of theirs, killing those monsters would've taken far longer. Fire might not fully kill them, but it certainly incapacitates them, making them much easier to destroy in mass numbers."

"I'll pass your suggestion along to General Grumman," General Armstrong said, an amused smirk on her lips. "Maybe once Fullmetal's done resting. Grumman had to order him to eat and rest an hour ago, the boy was practically falling over at the assembly line."  
"Speaking of General Grumman, ma'am," Major Miles began, remembering Captain Levi. "Am I to assume that he was the one that sent Captain Levi to get my report?"

"Most likely," General Armstrong said with a fractional nod. "He went out to do a survey of the walls with Alphonse and our visitors shortly after he ordered Fullmetal to bed to ensure its integrity. How did Captain Levi respond to your report?"

"He seemed very surprised," Major Miles admitted. "When I told him that our men had managed to kill hundreds of titans in a few hours."

"That seems in line with what I've managed to gather from the others he came with," General Armstrong replied, narrowing her eyes. "It seems they don't possess the ability to kill these titans in mass numbers. Their Walls have cannons atop them, from what I've heard, but they seem to not be in possession of any more mobile form of artillery or explosive weaponry."

"That doesn't sound right," Major Miles said, his face grim. "You'd think, having had to deal with them for as long as they claim, then they would've developed at least some basic explosive weaponry, especially if they have cannons."

"Indeed," General Armstrong said simply. "Something is wrong with their world, like someone is actively holding them back from developing more effective weaponry that would destroy titans more easily than their ODM gear and paring blades."

"Do you think we should bring this up with Captain Levi when we get the chance?" Major Miles asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I don't think so," General Armstrong said after a moment. "For all we know, he's a part of it. If there is a conspiracy, it is almost always the case that those at the bottom are unaware of it, or are otherwise incapable of acting on their suspicions."

"So, you'd want to talk to the cadets, then," Major Miles said to himself quietly. "I suppose that makes sense. Their being brought along means they hold some kind of value to their military, but their ranks mean they're likely not fully aware of the actions of those above them. Which do you think would be best to ask?"

"The blonde boy," General Armstrong said without hesitation. "Cadet Arlert. He offered up a good deal of sound tactical advice during our preparation for the titan assault, he's got a good head on his shoulders. Someone like that is probably at least aware of something being amiss and also likely values subtlety. However, this will have to wait. Major Miles, we have giants to kill."

"Yes, ma'am!" Major Miles said, saluting.

"Major Miles, I'm ordering you and your men to break for an hour," General Armstrong said, her tone more formal and direct. "Get dinner, rest, and when you're done, report to the northeastern area of the city for further instructions. Dismissed!"

"Understood!" Major Miles replied, taking his leave to inform his men of their orders.

Far away, near the northern section of the wall now surrounding East City, Captain Levi landed next to General Grumman, who was standing atop a large building on the outskirts of town, surveying the area and stroking his chin.

"I saw the Briggs troops come back from New Optian," he said, looking forward, his eyes squinted behind his spectacles. "Quite impressive, that they got done so soon. I take it there's good news, Captain Levi?"

"There is, General Grumman," Captain Levi said, trying his best to mimic an Amestrian salute. "Major Miles and his men engaged the titans outside the city's walls, a force that was reported to be several hundred titans strong."

"Oh my," General Grumman said, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "I hope everything's alright."

"The Briggs soldiers," Captain Levi continued. "Using the weapons your alchemists prepared, as well as those they brought from Briggs, obliterated the main body of the titan horde attacking New Optian. According to Major Miles, apart from stragglers at other areas along the wall, there were no survivors."

"Excellent!" General Grumman said happily, clapping his hands together. "And in less than a day, no less! With the rest of the weapons we have set up, maybe we can meet the same kind of success."

"One can only hope, sir," Captain Levi said carefully.

"Cautiously optimistic, huh?" General Grumman said, a slight smirk on his face. "I can respect that. Still, we've shown those monsters who's boss around here and, what's more, the men will know of the victory we've gained. Their morale will get a massive boost, now that we can effectively fight these things."

"Indeed," Captain Levi replied, his voice measured. "If we can keep this up, we might be able to destroy the titan forces in your country entirely and contain the situation in Liore."

"Aah, but one can't win a war on the defensive," General Grumman said, his smirk turning into a smile.

"Sir?"

"I intend to send a request to the Fuhrer when we defeat the titans here," General Grumman said, his voice becoming more measured and formal. "When we destroy our titans, we should help you destroy yours and reclaim the land you've lost."

"That would be..." Captain Levi said, having a hard time finding his words. "A great boon. We lost a fifth of our population when the titans took Wall Maria. Getting just _that_ back would be invaluable to my people, General."

"Its only fair," General Grumman responded cheerfully, clapping Captain Levi on the back. "The intel you and yours have provided have given us a decisive advantage, you may well end up saving thousands of my countrymen from a horrific fate. Amestris will be in your people's debt, Captain Levi. What better way to pay that debt than to continue hunting these monsters down until none of them remain?"

"You're an honourable man, General," was all Captain Levi managed to get out.

Inside, Captain Levi was astonished. If this Fuhrer would approve the deal, that would mean they could retake Wall Maria. He knew that the General was aware of how massive an area that was, but could tell that he was serious with his offer. Their hardware was leaps and bounds superior to theirs, the fact it took the Briggs men less than a day to kill hundreds of titans was a testament to how frighteningly efficient the Amestrian Military could be when it brought its teeth to bare against an enemy. What's more, they had alchemy. While he wouldn't pretend to understand it, the simple fact that Ed and the other alchemists were able to convert so many weapons so quickly was testament to just how crucial it was to their to success. They understood science far better than the people of his world, and no doubt that would prove just as critical as the weapons they could bring to bear against the scourge.

As he walked through the cooling grasslands, a man with a large scar across his face sat, resting his body. The past few days had been the hardest of his life. Whatever plan Ishvala had for him, he did not know exactly what part included man-eating giants. His...exasperating partner, Yoki, had been devoured by those things before the Scarred Man had managed to use his accursed arm to open the ground beneath the giants and trap them. Nothing had prepared him for what he'd witnessed after he fled East City, finding himself in an Ishvalan slum along the Eastside Longwaters to the north. For a while, he'd merely rested amongst his people, allowing his body to heal. After a debacle with some bounty hunters, he traveled north and to the west into the Grasslands with Yoki, seeking State Alchemists in Mandrett, those who had strayed from the path of Ishvala, perverting the world with their daemonic art. That's when he saw them, the giants. Skin like men, completely naked, grotesque faces fixed in a single, unswerving expression. One had tried to reach for him, but he'd used his cursed arm to destroy its arm, only for the beast to reach toward him with the other, as if losing its arm had been a mild inconvenience. What unholy abominations had the alchemists unleashed? Had Ishvala finally tired of their disobedience and decided to be rid of them? Was this divine retribution for the War of Ishvalan Extermination? Was this completely unrelated? The Scarred Man had no answers. All he knew was that he dare not rest for long. The giants were coming, and Ishvala's wrath was coming with them. In the end, that's all he needed to know.

 **Author's Notes**

Shit, this took far too long to write. If you guys follow my other stuff, I've been having a bit of a difficult time as I shifted some priorities around between work, school, and personal things. Unfortunately, this left me...pretty tired. And bereft of inspiration. Hopefully, that's at an end, because I actually had fun writing this. Also, I got a tracker (in the form of a Google Docs spreadsheet) so you guys can see what I'm updating and when. With any luck, this will give me the kick in the ass I need to get more done. Let's answer some reviews, shall we?

 **Twilightnite13:** As you can see, alas, he has not. I'm not sure when to do that, actually. Maybe when the titans hit East City, but with the white phosphorous weapons, that would probably be a VERY bad idea, because Eren would die in...a pretty horrific manner. We'll see when he gets the chance to go titan. As it is, doing so would be suicide.

 **GoldenLombaxGirl:** Unfortunately, this takes place shortly after the encounter in Liore. While Hughes is alive and well, Nina and Alexander...aren't, since they died shortly after Ed got his certification, as did Tucker. As much as it sucks, they've been gone for a while, now.

 **TheWritingGirl23:** Oh, don't worry. The bad guys are going to have their day, too. Cornello's cock up has MASSIVELY fucked with everyone's plans, in both worlds. While the FMA universe might not have aircraft, they've got alchemy, automatic weapons, chemical weapons and, most importantly, explosives. Targeted explosives. This will go a very, very long way since, here, you can destroy the weak spot with anything, and the titan stays dead. Doesn't matter if its the paring blades, mortars, explosive rounds, or grenades. Hell, even concentrated fire from regular bullets, at the right spot, could kill them. All that matters is that the specific area be destroyed.

Thank you guys for bearing with me on this, as well as for all the feedback! I realize this is kind of a niche story, but I do my best to make it a good one! I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Nine of _The Greater Evil_ , The East City Defensive! Take care!


	9. The East City Defensive

**The Greater Evil**

Chapter Nine: The East City Defensive

The time Hange Zoe had spent in the strange new world had been amongst the most educational excursions of her entire life. While her people's ODM gear gave them personal maneuverability without equal, the Amestrians' military technology eclipsed theirs several times over in every other category. While their main rifles were still single-shot like the ones she'd taken apart as a girl, their ammunition was all in one convenient package, a cartridge containing powder, primer, and projectile all in one. Even more curious were the machine guns, which were actually capable of rapid fire! Listening to one of the engineers, a man all too eager to discuss his favourite piece of equipment, talk about how they worked had her heart racing. The idea of using the blowback from a round to force the bolt back and forwards at the same time, reloading, ejecting, and firing a new shot all in one go, was something she'd never even considered. The long, ported barrel, the sights, the tripod, the imposing, dark-gray metallic weapon sent shivers down her spine. The only thing that had her more excited was the prospect of actually seeing such a magnificent weapon in action! Hange was practically buzzing as she zipped up to the building where Captain Levi and the cadets were stationed, right next to another of the Amestrians' amazing weapons: the mortar.

"So," Zoe began, grinning from ear to ear. "Captain Levi, seen anything interesting?"

"Nothing, so-" Captain Levi began as he peered in the binoculars one of the soldiers had lent him before stopping short. "They're behind schedule. I'm seeing a large group of titans, at least fifty strong, heading straight for us."

"What's the bearing on that, sir?" the nearby private asked automatically.

"Dead ahead," Captain Levi replied, pointing at the growing shadow reaching over the horizon before turning to Mikasa. "Ackerman, I want you to inform General Grumman in Eastern Command that the titans will be here in, conservatively, three hours."

"Yes, sir!" Mikasa said with a salute before leaping off the building, using her gear to maneuver swiftly to headquarters.

"Its a shame that they don't have one of those radio things up here," Hange lamented with a sigh.

"They do make communication more efficient," Captain Levi remarked before picking up a nearby rifle, grimacing slightly. "I never did care for these things, but I hear they're a lot better than the ones we have back home."

"I'm glad I actually paid attention during firearms drills," Armin said quietly to himself. "Though, I will admit, I'm a little uncomfortable fighting with an unfamiliar weapon."

"We've still got our gear, Armin," Eren said, trying to reassure his friend. "If push comes to shove, we can still kill them like we normally do."

"Pray it doesn't come to that, Yeager," Captain Levi said, a slight edge to his voice. "If it does, that either means we've got a breach in the wall or particularly agile abnormals. And don't even think about going over the wall," he continued, warningly. "If we use those special explosives their alchemists prepared...let's just say I don't want to explain to Commander Erwin why I'm bringing you home in an urn."

A retort died on Eren's lips, the Captain was right. He'd heard about what the soldiers in New Optian had accomplished. His blood boiled with the thought of finally being able to put the screws to the titans and rid the world of them once and for all. As Mikasa returned, the private that was watching the titans approach motioned for one of his comrades and, without saying a word, pointed at the centre of the group and handed him the binoculars. A startled curse came from the young man's lips as he got into position on the mounted gun.

"We've got a couple of fast runners coming in hot," the first private said to the group. "If you want to take some potshots before we let into them with the big gun here, go ahead. It'd help you get used to the gun's action."

"Good idea, thank you," Captain Levi said before crouching down like the instructor had shown them during their quick drills as Major Miles liberated New Optian. "Yeager, Ackerman, Arlert, I want you all to take positions, make sure to aim for the weak spot, their guns pack a lot bigger punch than ours."

"Yes, sir!" the trio said, saluting, as they crouched down on the rooftop.

Hange, without even waiting for the Captain to tell her, picked up her rifle and took a position near Levi, who'd put his hand in the air and swiftly brought it down. Eren, peering through the scope on his rifle, did just as the instructor had taught them and, aiming at the titan's head in an attempt to compensate for bullet drop, gently squeezed the trigger. The bang that came from the rifle rang in his ears, and the kick from the recoil made his shoulder sting, but as he watched through the scope, he saw a large chunk of flesh, almost the size of his head, explode out from the ten meter monstrosity's throat.

Armin could hardly believe it. He'd heard what these explosive rounds could do, but to see it for himself...sure, the titan was comparatively small, only in the five meter category, but he'd just caused a large chunk of its head to burst in a spray of bone and flesh. Another shot, this one slightly lower than last time, had all but made the titan's head completely come free from its neck. Aiming yet lower, his next shot hit right on the mark, shearing back a large hunk of flesh from the charging titan's collar, exposing its most vulnerable area. Not even waiting for the pain in his shoulder to ebb, Armin pulled the trigger again and, before the monster could heal itself, it slumped down to the ground, its weak spot blown into unrecognizable shards.

"I killed one!" Armin said, hardly able to believe the words coming out of his mouth. "I killed a titan!"

"Good going, Armin!" Eren said with a wide grin before turning back to his gun, taking careful aim, and pulling the trigger, letting out a victorious yelp and thrusting his fist in the air. "I got one, too!"

Within a few minutes, everyone in Levi's impromptu squad had several titan kills to their names. The Amestrian snipers took out the rest of the abnormal group, giving Levi and the others a chance to rest their aching shoulders. This day, they'd likely fired more rounds from a gun than they'd all done in their entire lives up to this point.

"I can't believe how accurate these weapons are!" Hange said, ogling her new-found friend. "I wish I had one of my own."

"I don't think the General would mind you keeping the ones we've given you as a souvenir, ma'am," the private manning the heavy machine gun said in a friendly tone. "Truth be told, I think most soldiers end up getting attached to their weapons. At least, the ones that aren't alchemists..."

"You think so?" Hange squeed in excitement. "I'd be thrilled if he did! They're way beyond what we've got back home, they're amazing!"

"The ability to kill a titan at a range is a decisive advantage," Mikasa said, looking at her rifle with an odd look somewhere between calculation and admiration. "Though, I think that has a lot to do with the ammunition we've been using. I doubt normal bullets would do as much damage."

"Not from the rifles, no," the black-haired machine gunner replied with a nod. "Unless you use the heavy ones our snipers are using. The heavy machine guns, though, like this beautiful gal," he said, patting the gun fondly. "Could still rip a titan apart with normal rounds, the explosive stuff just makes it take fewer shots. I've known soldiers who cut down trees with these things just for kicks. They weren't saplings, either. Given enough ammo and time," he continued, his grin more than a little predatory. "I could kill a building."

"Trying to pick up girls from other worlds now, Private Archer?" Colonel Mustang said, sauntering up the stairs, Hawkeye at his side, behind them. "Keep your hands off the black-haired one, she's a teenager."

"C-Colonel Mustang!" Private Archer said, startled into a hasty salute.

"At ease," Mustang said affably before turning to the footsteps behind him. "Fullmetal, if stairs wore you out, maybe you need to do some endurance work."

"Bug off, Mustang," Ed said with a wave of his hand. "I only woke up a little while ago. I'm still a little sleepy, is all," his eyes focused like a laser on the decreasingly hazy shadows of the approaching horde. "So, how long do we have before _they_ get here?"

"No more than about two hours," Captain Levi said after a moment. "We managed to take out a few abnormals that would've gotten here ahead of schedule, but who knows how many a horde this size might contain...they're always a nasty surprise."

A shot, almost like that of a cannon, rang out from one of the floors beneath them. Looking, the group could just barely make out the now-steaming carcass of a large titan. Colonel Mustang raised an eyebrow and smirked, the sharpshooters were really bringing the big guns to bear. If the loudness of the shot were any indication, they were using the high-caliber rounds, probably 12.7mm. Even normal rounds of that size could stop all but the largest titan in its tracks, explosive rounds were just extra insurance.

"What was _that_?" Armin asked, eyes wide. "It sounded like a cannon!"

"A heavy sniper rifle," Hawkeye explained. "12.7 millimeter rounds, going by the sound. General Grumman really isn't messing around with these things."

"And well that he shouldn't," Captain Levi replied, deadpan. "The titans are the greatest threat humanity has ever faced."

As the group held forth about the titans, Ed's mind was elsewhere. What little sleep he'd managed to get, at General Grumman's order, had been plagued by terrible dreams. These weren't the same nightmares, either. Normally, he dreamed about his mother, the abomination he and Al had created...the fall of Liore and Emell. No, these were different. In his dreams, he was running in a dark expanse, just barely able to see. The hard stone ground was sticky in areas, covered in darkly iridescent webs. Behind him, always behind him, he heard a harsh female laugh and when he looked, all he saw was the silhouette of what looked like a giant spider. He had no idea what, if anything it meant, even Al was at a loss. Something about it felt strange, though...oddly _wrong_ , as if this weren't the dream he was supposed to be having at the time. It was difficult, in his mind, to explain the sensation, other than a general feeling of utter, complete wrongness. Of being almost enveloped in an all-encompassing feeling of outright malevolence. Even now, the Fullmetal Alchemist couldn't help but feel like he was being watched. In this dream, his only choice was to run. The power he could feel, practically nipping at his heels, was the kind that sent icy chills down your spine. Ed hoped it was nothing, but after the portal between his world and the world of the titans, after witnessing Truth's domain, he couldn't be sure of anything, anymore.

"Ed," Mustang said, shaking the Fullmetal Alchemist out of his reverie. "We need to get into position."

"Huh? Oh, right," Ed replied, distracted. "Where am I supposed to be, again?"

"What's wrong with you, Fullmetal?" Mustang asked, curious. "You've been distracted ever since Havoc woke you up."

"Had a really weird nightmare," Ed admitted with a shrug before his mind finally started working properly. "That's right, Al and I are supposed to stay here in case this section of the wall gets damaged and needs repairs and give backup where we can with our alchemy, since neither of us are good with guns."

"Right," Colonel Mustang responded. "Let's get ready, they'll be in range soon."

"Are you sure you're alright, Edward?" Hawkeye asked Ed in a quiet tone as she settled her rifle down on the roof. "You've been a lot more on-the-ball than that during this whole thing."

"It was probably nothing," Ed began, eyes narrowing. "But, it just felt...wrong. I can't really explain it any other way. Like I was supposed to be dreaming, but not _that_ dream, if that makes any sense."

"Given the things you boys have seen," Riza replied kindly. "I'd be more surprised if you _didn't_ have really strange dreams. Still, there might be something more to it. When you boys get some time, it couldn't hurt to look into it and find out if it means anything. Best file it away for now, though, we've got more pressing matters to deal with."

"Thanks, Hawkeye," Ed said respectfully.

"Don't mention it, Edward."

The loud cracks of rifle fire sounded around them, more abnormals were either lying dead or crippled, their bodies riddled with fire from one of a multitude of large-caliber rounds slamming into them. Minutes passed like days as the horde drew closer across the golden desert, the individuals making up the front of the group finally became recognizable. Mustang's nerves remained steady as they could be, given the circumstances, as he watched the oncoming mass of titans through his binoculars. Their forces had won a devastating victory at New Optian, and Eastern Command had more troops and more firepower than the garrison there, they also had the tank in case things got out of hand. They were as prepared as they could possibly be, under the circumstances. If this was where Amestris made its stand, then he prayed to whatever god might be watching that they succeeded in their endeavors.

"Sir," Hawkeye said, signaling Colonel Mustang. "The titans are in range, suggest we begin the bombardment now around their flanks, first."

"Attempting to corral the titans into a small area?" Captain Levi interjected. "Titans rarely avoid danger in pursuit of prey, so I'm not sure such advanced tactics are necessary. Still, I don't think it'd hurt. Well, not for us, at any rate."

"Do it," Colonel Mustang said after a moment, nodding to the radio operator nearby. "Blanket their flanks with the white rounds. Wait thirty seconds after initial bombardment and switch to high-explosive rounds and cover the entire area. According to reports, there's little risk of secondary detonations from the phosphorus after its been ignited."

"Dunno how I got that one wrong," Ed grumbled under his breath, smacking himself as the first mortars began their deadly work. "Phosphorus pentoxide isn't even flammable unless you expose it to water."

"To be fair, brother," Al said quietly. "It was probably still a good precaution, anyway. The last thing you want is to whip up a cloud of burning phosphorus embers where it might reach people."

"That," Ed said, his voice little more than a harsh whisper. "And I haven't had a single good night's sleep since this whole mess started. I hope it ends, soon, I'm not sure how much longer I can keep going like this."

"I don't think they'll keep you on the front lines forever, brother," Al replied in a comforting tone. "Its mostly just been bad luck keeping us fighting like this. With any luck, we've given the military what they need to hold these titans off, and we can all rest, or at least do something less stressful."

"The Fuhrer will probably pull us and our friends to Central," Ed responded, thinking aloud. "My guess is he'll want to discuss long-term measures against the titans if we manage to hold them off here in the East. I hope I don't get stuck being a liaison or something, I really want to get back to hunting for the Philosopher's Stone and getting our bodies back to normal."

"Me, too, brother," Al said quietly, lowering his head a little. "Me, too."

"We've got an abnormal!" a nearby private yelled. "Ten o'clock, moving fast!"

"I've got this one," Mustang said dramatically, his eyes focused on the abnormal, which was skittering around at an alarming speed on its legs like a grotesque spider. With a click of the Flame Alchemist's fingers, the top half of the titan exploded into a spray of steaming blood, sinew, and bone shards.

Around them, the machine guns and high-powered rifles began coming to life, tearing titans apart left and right, kicking up an increasingly large cloud of smoke and steam. Ed couldn't help but watch in awe as the military showed just what it could do when it was angry. Not too long ago, they were running for their lives from these man-eating giants, desperately trying to find a way to kill them. With a little intelligence and ingenuity, the tides had turned dramatically and, were the titans intelligent, they would be on the run. As it was, the Amestrian military machine in the East was scything giants down like wheat. Despite himself, Ed felt a glimmer of hope and his heart pounded, a pleased smile forming on his face. Partly thanks to his efforts, they were finally getting retribution for all the people these monsters had killed. The spirits of the dead in Liore and Emell would be able to rest a little easier, now, knowing that they were, slowly but surely, being avenged.

Eren's eyes focused like a laser through the scope of his rifle, a smirk of hateful glee on his face. Every time he squeezed the trigger, titans would explode into a spray of flesh. With these weapons, he could almost point at a titan and kill it. It was all he could do to avoid laughing. He was killing titans in greater numbers than anyone had thought possible. It wasn't quite as enjoyable as killing them up close, but it was far safer. He especially took immense joy in making the smaller titans' heads explode. It might not kill them, but it was almost unnaturally satisfying, as if there were a savage beast lurking somewhere in him that was being sated in ways he couldn't have dreamed, gorging itself on the flesh and blood of titans as they had gorged themselves on humanity.

Ed heard a small snicker come from Eren's direction. Turning his head, Ed's eyes went wide. Eren was grinning like mad, as if...as if he were actually deriving an almost sexual pleasure from killing these giants. Ed soon became frightened of Eren, this wasn't rage, this wasn't anger...Eren was a gleeful psychotic, happily killing titans as messily as possible. This young man was broken in a way Ed had only seen once or twice before, but there was something about Eren's manor that kept Ed from dismissing him as another Barry the Chopper: he seemed to be genuinely interested in the people around him. Indeed, he didn't act like other serial killers he'd read about, he wasn't erudite, he wasn't particularly cunning, there was just hate in him. A violent, psychotic hate that drove him to want to exterminate the titans with extreme prejudice.

Shifting his eyes around to the rest of the visitors, their faces were far calmer than Eren's. Captain Levi and Mikasa were killing almost automatically, as if hunting titans were instinctual, the squeezing of the trigger for them was just another method to eliminate a threat. Armin had gone from visibly shaken at the size of the horde bearing down on them to almost eerily collected, swerving his rifle around, taking down titans seemingly at random. It wasn't until Ed looked closely, that he saw the pattern: Armin was taking out the fastest of the group, killing them in such a way as to, occasionally, cause the others to trip over the corpse of their comrade. It was a good idea, and kept many of the man-eating giants busy trying to get upright, instead of focused on making their way to the city, making them easier to kill for the rest of the sharpshooters. Hange had a look of regret on her face, as if she felt bad for destroying the titans. Ed had a difficult time understanding this because, as far as he knew, titans were completely mindless, bereft of anything except a simple desire to eat. Yet, it was as if Hange were putting down rabid animals, those she knew had to be put down for the good of herself and others, but whose loss she still regretted. Ed filed that away into his mind for later...something was off, here, and he was going to find out what. Once the army coming at them had been destroyed, of course.

Alphonse had never seen something like this in his life. So many bullets and bombs were flying toward the giants that he could never hope to count them all. A frightening thought entered his mind: this was war. The image he'd built in his mind of what war was like had no comparison with what was going on before him now. Though they did their best to remain calm and confident, he could tell that the men of the East City garrison were fighting for their lives, desperate to push back the enemy that was descending upon them like locusts, threatening to devour everyone and everything they held dear. These soldiers, they had spouses, children, friends, families, people they wanted to protect, people they wanted to save from a painful, hideous death. Word had gotten back about what had happened to Liore and Emell, about the massacres they'd suffered in the various small border towns in the Eastern Territory. Here, now, the soldiers were drawing a line in the sand, pouring their heart and soul into every bullet, into every mortar and rocket they fired. The cacophony of noise was such that Alphonse felt that Amestris herself were screaming in defiance of the death the titans threatened her with. In his heart, he felt for the soldiers who'd already lost loved ones to the titans. However, there was another feeling stirring in him, something altogether different. Looking at what he could make out of the titan horde descending upon them through the smoke and dust, Alphonse Elric willed the soldiers to keep fighting, as if trying to, mentally, add his strength to their own. This wasn't just about fear or bravery, about courage or conviction, this was about survival. If they failed here, everyone he knew could die. Teacher, Winry, Pinako, even his brother, they'd all die. In short: failure was not an option.

Walking atop the makeshift dais the soldiers had erected, General Armstrong stood next to General Grumman, who was observing his troops as they ceaselessly fired into the oncoming horde, an uncharacteristically serious look on his face.

"Your men appear to be holding their own quite well," General Armstrong observed.

"No doubt thanks to the inspiration the presence of you and your men have brought to us," General Grumman said in as friendly a tone as he could manage. "Your victory at New Optian gave us a much-needed morale boost. I honestly don't know what we'd have done without you, General Armstrong."

"You southerners aren't as helpless as I thought," General Armstrong said with a nod. "You may not be men of Briggs, but you are still Amestrians. We never back down from a call sent by one of our own. Besides," she continued, narrowing her eyes. "This is about more than just victory. Failing in our duty doesn't mean we end up under the boot of another government, it means the death of our entire country. Above all, we cannot allow that to happen."

"I agree," General Grumman said, nodding. "In a battle for survival, failure is not an option. Still, I will see to it that you and your men are commended for your bravery in answering our call in our time of need, mark my words."

"Only if yours receive similar accolades," General Armstrong said, not entirely successful in keeping the proud tone out of her voice.

"Tell me, General," Grumman said, finally turning to General Armstrong. "What do you think of our visitors, now that you see them in combat?"

"I think they'll be a critical asset in our war against these titans," General Armstrong said, raising an eyebrow, silently inquiring as to the purpose behind the question.

"That's not what I mean, not entirely," General Grumman said before nodding to the group perched on the rooftop, still firing into the oncoming army. "What do you think of them as individuals?"

"The blonde boy, Armin, has a good head on his shoulders," General Armstrong said after a moment. "He's far more intelligent and capable than he lets on. Their Captain, Levi, is a skilled leader and knows how to inspire his troops in battle. The Squad Leader Zoe is...interesting, to say the least, but her knowledge of the titans will be very useful in battles to come. The young girl, Mikasa, is quite focused and driven, but I sense she is overly attached to her comrade, Eren."

"Aah, and what do you think of young Mr. Yeager?" General Grumman asked, twirling his mustache.

"He is driven, that much is obvious," General Armstrong said, looking at the young man on the roof. "However, I get the impression that he is deeply disturbed. He seems to be taking an inordinate amount of pleasure in killing the titans."

"I was thinking much the same," Grumman said, nodding. "Do you think he'll be a liability?"

"Its hard to tell," General Armstrong admitted. "He seems proficient in killing them, but in a way, he reminds me of the reports I read on the Crimson Alchemist, Kimblee."

"I can see why you'd think that," General Grumman replied. "I admit to being worried of what he'll become if we ever manage to eradicate the titans for good. A disturbance that deep could be very dangerous."

"Indeed," General Armstrong said, her nod grave. "If he becomes a threat, we may have to imprison him. That, or kill him."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," General Grumman responded. "From what I've managed to piece together, their Squad Leader seems to believe he may hold a crucial secret regarding the origins of the titans. If that's so, the boy could be an extremely valuable asset; losing him could potentially set us back much further than we think."

"How much, exactly, do we know about these titans?" General Armstrong asked, looking suspiciously at the visitors.

"We know precisely where to hit them to kill them," General Grumman said, stroking his mustache. "We know that they don't eat humans for sustenance and that their body temperatures are so high, they burst into clouds of steam when they die, leaving only skeletons behind."

"Anything else?" General Armstrong asked in a serious tone.

"Nothing, yet," General Grumman began. "But, our friends haven't been here very long. I'm sure that, given time, they'll tell us all of what they know."

"So, you think they're holding something back, too," General Armstrong observed.

"Oh, of that I have little doubt!" General Grumman said with a laugh. "They were probably waiting until they saw us in action to decide if we could actually help them in this war or not. After all, there's little point in giving someone information if you know that they don't have a chance of actually being able to act on it effectively."

"I don't like it," General Armstrong said tersely. "We are their allies, they shouldn't hold anything back from us."

"So," General Armstrong parried. "I am to assume, from your comment, that you'll be telling us all about those new toys you and your men have been developing at Briggs?"

General Armstrong smiled and let out a small laugh. "You have a point, General Grumman," she said, her tone more friendly than usual. "Still, our allies had better share what they know with us. Our survival will undoubtedly depend on it."

"You were testing me just then, weren't you?" Grumman replied, a sly smile on his face.

"I need to know that I can rely on you," General Armstrong admitted. "You are my superior officer, Lieutenant General Grumman. A person who is incapable of spotting a trap and finding a way to maneuver themselves out of or around it is unworthy of service."

"I'm certainly glad I passed, then!" Grumman said with a laugh. "It wouldn't do to have our new friends going against the chain of command. I'm really not that keen on witnessing the kind of chaos that could cause."

"Indeed," General Armstrong replied, surveying the battle as the tide of bullets and explosives began to ebb, the smoke clearing on the battlefield. "Your men aren't as spineless as I initially thought. This is good, we'll need courage to see this crisis to a successful conclusion."

"I concur, Major General Armstrong," Grumman said with a nod, his ears still ringing from the earlier din before he turned to face his men, their guns silent and the battlefield ahead of them littered with holes and skeletons. "Men of Eastern Command, men of Briggs!" he shouted. "This day, we are victorious!"

Cheers erupted from the gathered soldiers. There wasn't a single titan left alive of the army that had descended upon East City, their joy was well-earned. Looking around, Captain Levi was deeply impressed. The soldiers of this world were every bit as frighteningly capable as their earlier victory in New Optian had implied. In less than a week, the soldiers of Amestris had more true victories against the titans than their people had amassed in a hundred years. The line had been drawn, the titan army that had come to them had to have numbered in the tens of thousands. Captain Levi allowed himself the pleasure of a smile as, inwardly, he cheered along with the soldiers of Amestris. They'd proven what he had long thought: the titans weren't invincible. The field of obliterated titan corpses outside the city drove this fact home _quite_ well. From hereon in, Captain Levi vowed to share any and all information they had relating to the titan scourge. The people of Amestris, with their utterly frightening military machinery and well-trained troops had proven themselves beyond a shadow of a doubt. At long last, humanity could push back against the titans.

 **Author's Notes**

Took...well, a _lot_ longer than I'd wanted, but here she be, in all her wordy glory! For those who are wondering, I place Amestris' level of military tech between WWI and WWII, and here's why: the tank that was developed at Briggs was the first of its kind, _yet_ , it closely resembles the German Vk 30.01 H, a tank which was developed during World War II. Its design is reminiscent of other WWII designs, including the Soviet T-35 and German Panzer III, especially with the sloped armour which allowed it to deflect anti-tank rounds. This, also combined with the development of rocket-propelled grenades (again, resembling WWII-era German weaponry) and the widespread use of mounted machine gun turrets _and_ the availability of semi-automatic rifles and sub-machine guns clearly paints a picture, to me, of a society whose technology is not _quite_ WWII level, but very, very close in almost every area save for aviation. Now, let's get to some reviews!

 **Slick:** Oh yes, the titans are starting to have quite a difficult time in Amestris. Though, remember, logistics are a thing and titans are most dangerous on the open roads, where supply convoys typically travel, especially in an era bereft of aviation. Then again, if they had fighter planes, Amestris' military would be almost completely overpowered, so its a nice balancing mechanic, narratively speaking.

 **The Richmaster:** Aye, Eren _will_ eventually transform, either as part of an experiment or in the heat of battle. Though, with the white phosphorous mortar rounds being thrown about, that's a pretty bad idea, right now. As we see, it and soft titan flesh do _not_ mix. Eren's psychotic, but he's not suicidal.

 **Bright Eyes Illusionist:** Thinking about it, titans _would_ ignore Al, wouldn't they? Hm...that could make him useful. That is, of course, assuming any use to which they put him isn't found out by certain interested parties that could potentially throw a monkey wrench into things. Gotta keep in mind that Commander Erwin is fully aware that there's a traitor in their midst, at this point. Sending such a valuable asset out, alone, into what is essentially unprotected wilderness is, tactically speaking, a very risky proposition, at best.

 **Drgyen:** Well, the admission of Eren's ability hasn't really had time to sink in. Gotta remember, its only been a scant few days since Mustang and his posse went to the AoT world, things have been happening _very_ rapid-fire, for them. Unfortunately, this means that certain facts, at first, simply get accepted without much thought in an effort to keep up with everything going on. Also, the search for the Philosopher's Stone _will_ continue, but yeah, things have been thrown massively out of whack. Man-eating giants tend to do that, lol. Finally, oh yeah, they _will_ be finding out about the secrets that are kept within the Walls. After all, its more than just Ed, Al, and Mustang on the case. Both General Grumman and General Armstrong _very_ strongly suspect something is wrong with Eren's world, given that certain facts don't really line up with a logical, or even just rational, progression of events. Neither of them are fools, and having people both on the top and on the ground with keen minds looking into this thing...yeah, secrets don't tend to stay secret around them for very long.

 **GoldenLombaxGirl:** I do want to have more scenes with Hughes! Alas, things are only just _now_ getting out of the realm of utter insanity. With any luck, he'll pop up in the next few chapters, though!

Well, that's about it for this chapter, folks! For those who still don't know about it, there is a link in my profile which leads to a Google spreadsheet which is acting as a tracker for my various stories, so you guys can see how far along I am with my writing! Its even colour-coded to be extra convenient! I'll catch you guys later for the Chapter Ten (woot!) of _The Greater Evil_ , The Day After! Take care!


	10. The Day After

**The Greater Evil**

Chapter Ten: The Day After

That day, there was a massive celebration. Amestris had effectively repelled a titan assault a second time, she and her soldiers had proven their prowess to their visitors, and the defensive lines had officially been drawn. Word had it that the State Military was conscripting alchemists left and right to build defenses along the roads connecting the major towns that remained along the border of the area that had been decimated by the titans. Checkpoint towers were springing up along the roads in the East as new alchemists from the Western territories were brought over on special order of the Fuhrer to reinforce the front lines and to create a buffer zone between the Central, Northern, and Southern territories and what had become titan territory. Word began to spread that some of the Generals in Central were even considering setting up a wall on the border with the ruins of Xerxes to pen the titans in. Ed had to admit that it was an audacious plan, but not necessarily a bad one. If the titans could be effectively contained, then they could slowly draw the borders closer and closer to the remains of Liore until, at long last, they could create a containing wall on _both_ sides of the portal. If the Fuhrer agreed to the plan, they could then set about creating supply lines between the new world before them and Amestris. The trade deals Ed knew would become an inevitability would probably do Amestris a lot of good, in the long run. For now, though, it was enough to know that the fighting, for him, was over for a while, and that he could rest, if only a little.

Alphonse desperately wished he could sleep. Since being put in the hollow confines of his metal body, he hadn't been able to sleep, no matter how mentally exhausted he was. He had no body to run out of energy, no organs that needed refueling. As his brother slept, albeit fitfully as nightmares no doubt plagued him, Alphonse knew what envy was. At least, in sleep, his mind could have a chance to escape into some elaborate fantasy, to offer him some form of reprieve from the memories constantly running amok in his mind. As it was, the youngest Elric tried to take what solace he could in the fact that they had won the day. Seeing the happy soldiers congratulating one another on a job well done, Alphonse smiled inside. They'd earned this, every one of them. Thousands of titans lay dead outside the walls, and as he thought of the giants, a truck pulled up near where he and his brother were sitting on the front lawn of Eastern Headquarters.

"Lieutenant Colonel Edward Elric?" the soldier asked as he stepped out, saluting the elder Elric. "These are the remains you requested, should we unload them into the lab?"

"That will be good, thank you," Ed said with a nod. "Well, Al, let's make our way there."

Ed had requested the skeletal remains of one of the smaller titans to examine, when she heard of his plans, Hange had practically forced her assistance on him. Ed didn't mind it, though, since she was her world's foremost expert on the titans. As the final remains were offloaded to the large table set in the middle of the well-lit lab, Hange walked in and waved at the brothers.

"Hey, Ed and Al!" Hange said happily. "Studying some titan remains, huh? What do you hope to find?"

"I was remembering something your Commander said when we were there," Ed remarked, running a finger over the bleach-white bones. "He said Eren could turn into a titan, correct?"

"So the report says," Hange replied with a nod. "What's this got to do with these titans, though?"

"My hypothesis," Ed said, looking at the inside of a broken femur. "Is that these titans are like Eren, just...different, somehow. Look here," he continued, holding up the large femur. "This bone, do you notice anything odd about it?"

"Not offhand, no," Hange admitted, looking closer. "What do your alchemist's eyes see?"

"This bone doesn't have the right density," Ed remarked. "If it were to try and support a titan of this size, its legs would break, unless somehow, the density of its flesh were a great deal lower than that of a human."

"That would explain why the paring blades are so effective against them, brother," Al added. "Even though they're so brittle. Cutting through soft tissue like _that_ would be much easier than human tissue, so a brittle, inflexible blade would still be very effective."

"That's the same conclusion I reached when I studied titan remains, as well," Hange said slowly. "But...I get the feeling this means something more than you're saying."

"When Eren transforms," Ed began, putting the bone down. "Where, exactly, does all that extra mass come from? It doesn't make sense for a person not even two meters tall to be able to transform into a creature that could lift a massive boulder."

"Why not?" Hange asked, her eyes narrowed.

"It violates Conservation of Mass," Ed responded seriously. "You can't create matter from nothing! It makes no sense!"

"Brother," Al interjected, holding up a part of the spine. "Look at this!"

"That vertebra," Ed said quietly, inspecting the spine. "Its different from the others! Its shown less signs of bleaching, why?"

"That's close to the weak spot," Hange observed. "Why's it so different?"

"For the bones to be so different," Ed responded, inspecting the vertebra closer. "And _so_ different, they have to be from a different source! What the hell's going on here?" Ed demanded, slamming a fist on the table. "This doesn't make any god damned sense! Now, we've got different bones? In addition to something happening that can't possibly happen? Has the world gone _completely_ insane, or is it just me?"

"I won't pretend to understand the method behind Eren's transformation," Hange began, inspecting the bones closer. "However, the report says that he emerged from the titan's weak spot after his first transformation."

"What did you say?" Ed said, turning towards Hange so quickly, his neck popped.

"Eren emerged from the weak spot," Hange repeated.

"No," Ed said quietly. "No no no no no, that can't be right."

"Why not?" Hange asked, looking somewhat worried at Ed's reaction.

"What's wrong, bro-" Al began before he stood stock still, his voice becoming little more than a whisper. "Oh. Oh no."

"What's wrong?" Hanged asked, her concern growing more evident.

"The titans," Ed said, visibly ill. " _They're people_."

Hange just stared. She'd long thought that there was more to the titans than met the eye. The journal she'd read regarding a titan that spoke to a member of the Survey Corps showed that not all titans were mindless. The Armoured and Colossal titans had shown very clear signs of intelligence, as well, especially the latter during the attack on Trost when it, according to reports, made a special effort to take out the defensive cannons atop the ruined gate before disappearing. Eren being able to turn into a titan...appearing from the weak spot both times he transformed, and now the different bones in the spine, right where the weak spot is, it all began to form a picture that horrified the Squad Leader beyond all reason.

"That still doesn't answer the big question, though," Ed continued after a few minutes. "Where does all that mass come from? If the titans really _are_ people, then they must have transformed, somehow, in a way different from Eren, but all that mass has to have a source! The only way you can make something from nothing is with a Philosopher's Stone, and your people don't even have alchemy! This still doesn't make any damned sense!"

"Well," Hange began, collecting herself. "We know that titans derive energy from sunlight and different titans consume it at different levels. I've only done one test, so far, on a live titan to determine this, so I don't have the additional data to truly confirm my hypothesis, but its the only explanation that makes any sense, that I've found."

"Damn it," Ed spat. "We're fumbling around in the dark! Even with sunlight, there has to be _something_ to catalyze the reaction that takes place when someone shifts into titan form. Or maybe," Ed continued, his eyes narrowed as he picked up the spine again, studying it closer. "The sunlight _is_ the catalyst, and we've missed something."

Ed took a clean slide from nearby and, using a scraper, scraped some of the decaying tissue inside the human portion of the titan's spine on to it and covering the slide. Walking over to a nearby microscope, Ed placed the slide beneath the aperture and peered into the upper end, looking closely. Fiddling with the focus knobs, Ed let out a small gasp.

"You guys," Ed began, looking up from the microscope. "Come and take a look at this."

"What am I seeing?" Hange asked, her excitement at using new equipment tempered by her curiosity.

"The dark red cells are blood and bone marrow," Ed said simply. "But, do you see those strange, gray-green cells with the thick walls? Those are _bacterial_ cells, of some kind."

"That found their way into the bone marrow?" Al asked, shocked.

"Right," Ed confirmed with a nod. "It doesn't look like a normal infection, either. I'd swear, it almost looks like yeast."

"A yeast infection of the _spine_?" Hange asked, shuddering. "Maybe this titan was sick or something."

"Maybe," Ed responded with a nod. "We'll need more samples to make sure, though. If they all have this, there might be something here. Their green colouration seems to indicate the presence of chlorophyll, the pigment found in algae cells that makes them green."

"And plants absorb sunlight during photosynthesis to make energy," Al began, his voice becoming more direct. "Just like you said titans appear to do, Squad Leader."

"There's more to this than meets the eye," Ed said, his eyes becoming sharp as razors. "Squad Leader," he continued, turning towards Hange. "I think it would be prudent to recommend to my people that we capture living titans. If we can take spinal fluid samples from their weak spots, we can see if this same infection is present. It still doesn't explain all of this insanity, but I've got the feeling that we're on to something, here."

"I have a feeling you're right, Edward," Hange noted, nodding. "You can contain titans with thick ropes, but steel chains would probably be better at keeping them immobile, _especially_ if you want to get on top of one."

"Do you think we should see if Eren would be willing to give a sample when he's transformed, as well, brother?" Al asked, mentally balking at the idea.

"If he consents," Ed replied with a sigh. "It'll probably hurt like hell, but it'd help us understand what's going on here," Ed ran his fingers through his hair and said in an exasperated tone. "If I ever meet that Commander Pixis again, I'm gonna wring his neck for telling us about Eren."

"Why _did_ he tell us?" Al asked, turning to his brother. "I mean, you'd think something like that ought to be kept secret from people who are effectively strangers."

"The Commander was probably testing you," Hange said with a laugh. "Not only seeing how exhausted you really were which, given that you're only just not tackling this mystery, was likely the case, but also playing a much longer game: seeing how much help you'll be in the long term when it comes to understanding the source of the titans and in delivering us tools to make combating them easier over the long run."

"Its not that I didn't think on it til now," Ed said, his exasperation growing. "I just haven't really had the time or energy to really delve into it. Part of the reason I didn't sleep very well when we spent the night in your world was because I couldn't stop questioning how such a thing was possible."

"I wonder if Colonel Mustang and Major Armstrong have any thoughts about this," Al said after a moment. "They might have some insights we don't that could be useful."

"That's not a bad idea, Al," Ed responded. "The more people we get on this, the better chance we have of figuring out what's happening behind the scenes that makes this possible. Plus," he added, rubbing his temples. "Maybe this migraine will go away if I spread this insanity to Mustang. I feel bad for doing it to Armstrong, too, but collateral damage and all that. Plus, I think he'd like to have some time away from his sister."

"I'll go see if I can find them, then," Al said, bowing slightly and turning towards the door.

"And see if you can find something for this damned headache!" Ed called out to his brother as he left.

Ed sank into a nearby chair. Figuring out the titans was like trying to untangle a giant ball of knotted rope, the minute you figure out how to work one of the knots, a dozen more get in your way. It was quickly driving him spare.

"You're really frustrated by this, aren't you?" Hange said, sitting atop the table near Ed.

"I can't help it," Ed groaned. "Its how my stupid brain works. Once it gets latched on to a mystery, it can't let go until it solves it. The only thing that's caused me this many problems is the Philosopher's Stone."

"What is this Philosopher's Stone you keep talking about?" Hange asked, swinging her legs a little.

"The ultimate end goal of alchemy," Ed replied, trying in vain to will the headache away. "The Grand Elixir. Using the power of the Philosopher's Stone, an alchemist can bypass the Law of Equivalent exchange and perform normally impossible feats. Al and I were investigating someone believed to be in possession of it in Liore. Turned out that the local priest of the town was using it to create phony miracles and chimeras to create an army of religious zealots who'd rise up against the State and start a civil war. We confronted him about it, and when he got desperate...that's when the Stone responded and opened up the portal between our worlds. Then, to top it all off, the damn thing disintegrated!"

"I'm sorry, Ed," Hange said, her voice unusually soft. "Nobody should have to witness a thing like that. But, from what it sounds like, you weren't to blame for what happened. If that priest hadn't been trying to overthrow your country, he wouldn't have had cause to be so desperate to hold on to his power so jealously."'

"That obvious, huh?"

"Even if it weren't written all over your face," Hange observed. "It wouldn't take much to figure out that's how you feel about the ordeal." She leaned in, her voice soft, but kind. "That's how I would've felt in your position, too."

"It was all so stupid!" Ed cried, shoving his face in his hands. "I was so desperate to set things right that I ended up getting thousands of people killed! I keep wondering what if I hadn't pushed so hard? What if I'd acted faster, jumped the bastard priest when I fought off his chimera and ripped that stupid ring off his fat finger? It keeps running through my head and I can't make it stop!"

Hange got up off the table and pulled Edward close, she understood how he felt. "Its not your fault, Edward," she said quietly. "You had no way of knowing this would happen, you're not a god. You're human, like the rest of us. Thanks to you, we're fixing what went wrong, little by little. And, besides, you've given my world hope against the titans, something we haven't had for over a hundred years. I know the Captain won't ever say it, but I know he's extremely glad you're on our side, that we've become allies. You're helping to save lives, never lose sight of that."

"You," Edward began once his breath was under control. "You understand, don't you?"

"I was the one who convinced Commander Erwin that the Scouts needed to venture beyond the Walls," Hange admitted. "On our first mission, it...it was a massacre. Barely one in four survived, and of them, fully half were either crippled or committed suicide. For a long time, I blamed myself for it. I kept thinking that, had I not suggested we go beyond the Walls to learn about the titans, then those people could've lived longer. But...I realized, with the help of both Captain Levi and Commander Erwin, that it wasn't my doing. The titans were the ones who killed our comrades, who drove others to suicide from the horrors they witnessed. We're at war," she continued, her tone turning grave. "And, in war, people die. Its our jobs to see to it that as few of ours give their lives needlessly as we can get away with, and that the sacrifices made by our comrades aren't in vain."

Minutes felt like hours as Ed sat there, in Hange's embrace, her words ringing in his mind. "Thank you, Hange," Ed finally said as they parted and she took her place atop the table once again. "You're right. It'll take time, I think, to accept what you've said, but I know you're right. The best thing we can do now is figure out how these things work so we can put a stop to them once and for all."

"That's the spirit, Edward," Hange said with a smile, giving Ed a thumbs up.

"Let's see what this meeting of the minds can achieve," the pair heard come from the doorway as the door opened. In it stood Al, Colonel Mustang, Lieutenant Major Armstrong, and the rest of the visitors. "See if we can't crack the case of the source of the titans a little further," Captain Levi said as he walked in, looking at the bones with obvious distaste.

"The proportions are off," Armstrong said almost immediately as he looked at the bones. "The legs are far too short, this looks more like the skeleton of an extremely large gorilla."

"Titans take a variety of disgusting forms," Captain Levi noted. "Though, it was likely that this skeleton was from an abnormal, they tend to be the ones that vary the most from the norm."

"I didn't even notice that," Ed remarked, rubbing his eyes.

"You're tired, Fullmetal," Mustang said, though not unkindly. "Then again, I think we all are, at this point. So," he continued, looking at the skeletal remains. "You asked us here to investigate this skeleton, right? That must mean you've found something that doesn't fit."

"More like a lot of things that don't fit," Ed responded. "Take a look at the top of the spine, the point where its sheared off, tell me if it looks weird to any of you guys."

"The colour is a little off," Armin stated. "And the top most vertebra is smaller than the others, _noticeably_ smaller."

"That's exactly what we noticed, too," Ed said with a nod, getting up. "We got a tissue scraping from inside the odd vertebra and found this weird, almost plant-like bacteria. It looks a lot like...well, like yeast, but more green in colour and the cell membranes are thicker."

"I won't pretend to be an expert in biology," Mustang admitted. "But, that doesn't sound right. A yeast infection _inside_ the spine? I don't think I've ever heard of something like that happening before."

"Hey, Mikasa," Eren spoke up. "Isn't that the weak spot? Why are the bones different there from the rest of the skeleton?"

"That _is_ where you appeared when you came out of your titan body," Mikasa said, before her eyes went wide, turning to Edward. "That's what you found."

"Its only a hypothesis," Ed admitted. "But, its the only thing that fits with the facts as I know them, and the Squad Leader agrees."

"It is my opinion, as resident titan expert," Hange began in an official tone. "That there is the distinct possibility that all titans started life... _as humans_."

The silence in the room was thick enough to cut with a knife. Armstrong, in particular, looked utterly horrified by this revelation and what it could mean. Mustang's face took on a stony quality.

"Can it spread?" Mustang asked firmly.

"I doubt it," Hange said after a few moments. "At least, not like a disease. There's been no recorded instances of people who have come into contact with titans becoming ones, themselves and, other than Eren here, there are no known instances of people becoming titans."

"Except the Colossal and Armoured titans," Eren interjected. "Think about it: they're the only other titans to display any kind of intelligence. When it appeared outside of Trost, the Colossal took special care to destroy the defensive cannons on top of the wall and the Armoured titan knew exactly where the weakest point of the walls were, _exactly_ where to hit to open up the grater part of Wall Maria's interior to the titans."

"There's also the matter of their sudden appearance and disappearance," Armin added with a nod. "They didn't leave or get chased off, they completely _vanished_ each time."

"So," Captain Levi said, his eyes narrowed. "We've likely got at least two hostiles somewhere who can transform into titans like Eren and control their bodies."

"And I don't remember how I got the power to control a titan body," Eren stated as the other began to look at him. "All I know is that my dad told me that our cellar in Zhiganshina held the answer."

"Which gives us our ultimate destination," Mustang said firmly. "When we meet with the Fuhrer, I'll be sure to tell him about this. I'm sure once he knows what's at stake, he'll give us whatever resources we need to sortie into Wall Maria, find Zhiganshina, and discover what's hidden away in your family's cellar, Eren."

"Wait," Ed said, holding a hand up. "We're going to meet with the Fuhrer? Since when?"

"Since an hour ago," Mustang replied. "I got the call, then, from the man himself requesting our presence, as well as that of our new friends, in Central. We're to depart tomorrow after we've had a chance to rest."

"I guess it can't be helped," Ed said, resigned. "We're at the forefront of this insanity, it makes sense for him to want to discuss what to do with the people who've done the most to secure our foothold against these damned things."

"I know what you're thinking, Ed," Mustang said kindly. "Honestly, I'd be lying if I said I didn't want several days of proper rest after all of this. Think about it this way, Fullmetal," he continued, looking Ed in eyes, noticing their dark circles beneath them. "Once we contain these things, we'll probably end up going back to what passes for normal around here. Considering we'll likely all end up heroes, I don't think anyone, even the Fuhrer himself, would take it badly if we decided to take a vacation some place quiet."

"I just want to get back to hunting for the damned Philosopher's Stone," Ed moaned. "I know it hasn't been that long, but it feels like we've been sidetracked for months!"

"You'll get back to it, I'm sure, Edward Elric," Armstrong answered quietly. "Your journey does not end with these monstrosities."

Ed nodded and the group took their leave of the lab after Ed compiled their notes, hiding them in his coat. No telling how much damage information like this could do in the wrong hands. Not only was it vital intelligence, but something told Ed that this was a key facet of what the hell was wrong with Eren's world, and why the titans even existed in the first place. Somewhere in that infection lie a key piece of the puzzle, and Ed had a feeling that there were people in the other world who did _not_ want this information getting out. After the group ate, quietly, in the mess hall of Eastern Command, they were guided to the barracks, where they were given the best accommodations available, the hotel having been evacuated in advance of the titan attack. As the rest of the group went their separate ways, the Elric brothers were alone, walking down the hall with Major Armstrong.

"Major," Ed began, looking up at the morose giant of a man. "Is everything alright?"

"It is kind of you to ask, Edward Elric," Armstrong answered quietly. "I must admit that I am not in the best of spirits. The things I saw in Emell haunt me, and I can still feel pain where my eye used to be. Every time I try to sleep, I see the men in my retinue being devoured, screaming. I haven't been able to rest since that nightmare of a battle."

"I haven't been able to sleep well, either," Ed admitted. "As bad as Emell was, it was...it was nothing compared to Liore. I don't know if I'll ever get those images out of my mind. I...I saw a little girl, couldn't have been more than ten, be crushed between a titan's teeth. Even now, I can hear her panicked cries, and there was nothing I could do."

"It never gets any easier, Edward Elric," Armstrong said after a moment. "But, I believe that is for the best. If it ever became easy to witness such things, I would worry about who, or rather what, we would have become in the process. There were some soldiers," he began, eye going hard. "After the Ishvalan Civil War, who disconnected from the suffering so completely, it frightened me. They didn't become madmen like the Crimson Alchemist, but many of them wound up in prison, nonetheless. Many ended up there after suffering a complete breakdown. Others still wound up in asylums. They were the ones who never healed, who could never come to terms with what they witnessed. Edward Elric," he continued, placing his hands on the boy's shoulders and staring him in the eyes. "The fact that it hurts us shows that we are capable of understanding what happened and that we can, in time, come to terms with it and, hopefully, heal."

Edward couldn't help it, he pulled Major Armstrong into a hug. The normally boisterous man had truly opened up to him, but he hadn't just told him what he'd seen...no, he'd done more than that. He'd shown Ed that it was good that such things hurt him, that the pain was a sign he was still human. He struggled to accept it, but he knew the truth of the man's words. A time would come when he would be able to, maybe not forget, but at least wear the edges off the memories of this war. A time would come when he could repair some of the damage that had been done and, at last, he could lead something resembling a normal life.

Alphonse, as his brother went to sleep, thought on the Major's words. When would that time come for him? Would his first nights in his real body be plagued with nightmares like his brother? He didn't want anything to mar his first experiences being human again, but thinking on it honestly, Alphonse realized that ship had sailed some time ago, with the revelation that Shou Tucker had turned Nina and Alexander into a chimera. He would have to take the bad with the good, and at least Ed and Winry and all their friends would be there to help, even Major Armstrong. Alphonse tried to make himself smirk, inside, at the thought of the Major scooping him up into a massive bear hug. To a degree, he succeeded.

Hange had trouble sleeping. What they'd uncovered in that lab made her extremely uncomfortable. The thought of titans being the result of some odd infection was one thing, but the fact that she knew for a fact the titan transformation wasn't contagious meant only one logical conclusion remained: those who were titans were infected intentionally. If the infection they'd found in the spinal tissue was found to be some kind of catalyst for the titan transformation, then that would just lend further credence to that theory, and raise even more disturbing implications. Deep in her gut, the Squad Leader squirmed. Part of science was uncovering disconcerting truths, but the idea of someone intentionally creating titans put Hange ill at ease. Something was even more wrong than she initially thought.

Eren tossed and turned. The idea of even the normal titans having, at one time, been regular people disturbed him greatly. Not that he didn't still want them all dead, of course. No, it was merely his view on the act of destroying them that seemed to be changing. These people, whatever was left of them, were turned into these _things_ against their own will, because who would willingly turn into a man-eating giant, and there was clearly nothing left of them after the transformation; killing someone in that state would be merciful, a quick end to a grizzly existence. The titans would be exterminated, and the deliverer of their mercy would be Eren Yeager. Yes, mercy. Every last one of them would receive their _mercy_.

Mikasa found sleep...difficult. She knew that killing, even people, was at times a necessity to protect oneself and others. However, the idea of being forcibly turned into a mindless titan turned her stomach. No one should have to endure that horror. Like a bolt of lightning, an idea struck her. Had that been what almost happened to Eren in Trost? He'd attacked her without even thinking, not unlike a normal titan, though he didn't seem intent on consuming her. Could his titan body consume him? She shook herself. No, it didn't make any sense, Eren's actions as a titan weren't in trying to kill or eat her, it was like he was trying to drive her away. She knew Eren didn't want her on the front lines, that he wanted her to stay somewhere safe, but she'd insisted. Could it be that, as a titan, he became even more impulsive? While it did comfort her that Eren's attack as a titan was likely the result of his caring for her, Mikasa resolved to be more careful around Eren when transformed. If nothing else, his size made him potentially dangerous to those around him.

Armin knew almost no one was going to be able to sleep well, if at all, after what they found in that lab. If what Ed and the Squad Leader said was even remotely true, then whoever was responsible for this was responsible for the deaths of millions and the near-extinction of humanity, and was indirectly responsible for the untold number of deaths here in Amestris. Even if they were long since dead, nobody lived for a century, at least the people of his world could, eventually, know the truth. That, more than anything, was what Armin Arlert truly wanted. Smiling wistfully, he remembered some of the last words his parents said before they disappeared, "the truth will set you free." With the help of these outsiders and their science, their world could finally be freed by the truth of the titans.

Colonel Mustang swallowed the two white tablets and chased them down with the remainder of his glass of water. Hopefully, the aspirin could chase this damned mounting migraine away. Every answer they found lead to a half dozen more questions, none of them even remotely minor. He knew this was the way of science, but that didn't mean it didn't occasionally give him a massive headache. So, there were at least two hostile titan...shifters, he supposed was an accurate enough term, one who could charge through a stone wall and one who could turn into a monster that towered over sixty meters. Even their best weapons would be hard-pressed to take them down, especially this Armoured Titan. Adding in their intelligence and apparent tactical ability, however basic, and that made them the most significant threat on the other side of that portal. If they came here, it could be a massacre. On the other hand, if they could be restrained, they could prove critically valuable both as subjects of scientific study and as prisoners to interrogate. Fishing around in the nightstand, Mustang found a pen and a few pieces of paper. Knowing sleep was still a ways away, he put pen to paper and began writing a missive to Generals Grumman and Armstrong, detailing their findings and his own, personal recommendations and warnings, for their eyes only.

The night passed slowly for the group, sleep only coming in the later hours, many times well after midnight. As Edward slept, he had another strange dream. Spiders, spiders everywhere. He hated the eight-legged creatures, the only thing whose movement disturbed him more were centipedes and millipedes. These spiders, however, moved right around him, all heading in one direction. As he followed their movement, he got that feeling again, the feeling like this wasn't what he was supposed to be dreaming, that all-consuming wrongness that was only matched by the utter malevolence he could feel in the very air itself. Looking at the horizon of the dark expanse, he could just make out several tall, slender, humanoid forms and it looked like some were carrying weapons. A great purple glow began to emanate from the middle of the group, illuminating some of them to where Edward could just barely make out white hair, spears, and the occasional robe. Deep inside, he felt like something was happening, something major. As he moved, unable to restrain himself, he was jerked out of the dream, but not before an all to familiar voice, one that he'd heard before as a child, say to him "this is truth."

"Its time to wake up, brother," Alphonse said quietly trying to rouse Ed from his disturbed sleep.

"Damn it, Al," Ed said groggily. "I was so close!"

"To what, brother?" Al asked, concerned.

"I had another one of those weird dreams again," Ed explained, his expression going grim. "This time, I was surrounded by spiders all moving towards one place with a bunch of tall guys with weapons. Al," Ed continued quietly. "These dreams aren't natural. Call me crazy, but I think they're visions, maybe warnings."

"What makes you say that?"

"Al," Ed began, his voice little more than a whisper. "At the end, just before I woke up...I heard the Truth, the thing from when we...when we tried to bring mom back, and he said only one thing: 'this is truth.' I doubt he was just letting me know his identity, either."

"What do you think he meant by that?" Al asked, obviously scared.

"I'd be willing to bet anything that it has something to do with that portal," Ed answered. "If a Philosopher's Stone can breach whatever barrier exists between our world and Eren's, then who's to say that someone else with another Stone couldn't manage the same thing?"

"Or," Al added, lowering his head. "That something just as powerful couldn't do it, themselves."

"We need to see if we can find some time to talk with Mustang in private," Ed said quickly. "If Truth is trying to warn us, then the situation has to be dire. We might be facing another invasion."

"I'll go see if I can find him," Al said, standing up.

"Thanks, Al," Ed said with a nod and wan smile. "I'll go brush my teeth and give my hair a quick brushing in the meantime."

"I'll be back soon, brother," Al said, walking out the door.

Fortunately, Al only had to look for a few minutes. Colonel Mustang was walking through the hallway, quite plainly on his way to the mess hall for breakfast before they set out for Central. Walking quickly next to him, Mustang eyed Al with a mixture of curiosity and fatigue.

"Where's your brother, Alphonse?" Mustang asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Ed said he needs to talk to you," Al said before leaning in close and reducing his voice to whisper. "He has something he needs to talk to you about."

"I assume its urgent, since he's interrupting my breakfast," Mustang said despairingly. "Fine, let's see what Fullmetal wants."

As they entered the room, Ed had just finished getting dressed and setting his hair in his trademark ponytail. Ed looked up at Colonel Mustang with a hint of embarrassment. He knew about what happened with his mother, but he didn't know about Truth, and what he was about to lay on him could well be huge. As Al closed the door, Ed took a deep breath, this wasn't going to be easy.

"Colonel Mustang," Ed began, sitting on his bed. "I had another weird dream, last night."

"Ed," Mustang said, sighing. "That just means you're becoming a man."

"Not _that_ kind of dream!" Ed shot back, turning red. "Get your head out of the gutter, Mustang!"

"If you say so," Mustang said, shrugging and sitting in a nearby chair. "What's up, Fullmetal? I assume you had _some_ reason to interrupt me going to breakfast."

"I don't remember if I told you or not," Ed began quietly. "But, when I was...well, _ordered_ to rest, I had a strange dream a lot like this one. Something about it just felt _wrong_ , like it wasn't the kind of dream I wasn't supposed to be having, then. Like my mind was being invaded or something. Each time, it involved the same, weird, webbed expanse and lots and _lots_ of spiders."

"That does sound odd," Mustang noted. "But, I still don't get why this is so urgent, Ed."

"I need to backtrack a little," Ed said, sighing. "You remember when Al and I tried to bring my mom back?" At Mustang's nod, he continued. "We haven't told anyone else this, and I'd appreciate it staying that way."

"You have my confidence, Ed."

"Thanks, Colonel," Ed replied, his spirits raising a bit. "Anyway, when we tried...I went somewhere else, it was like a portal opened. It went to the realm of Truth, and that's where I learned how to do alchemy without an array. Truth is...hard to describe. He's like this shadow being, he claimed to be everyone and everything. He's not evil, but he's not necessarily good, either. Anyway," he continued, relaxing. "This last dream, I saw a bunch of spiders going towards one place on this, erm, place and there were a lot of tall guys with white hair and weapons and it looked like some kind of portal was opening up. At the end, just before Al woke me up, I heard the voice of Truth, and he said 'this is truth.' He...Truth doesn't _give_ things out, that's just not how he works."

"And the fact he volunteered even just three words is highly irregular," Mustang finished, nodding. "Meaning, that something huge might be happening. Edward, meaning no disrespect," he added, rubbing his chin. "You've had some very strange experiences in your life, and I won't pretend to understand everything you just said. But, if you and your brother see cause for concern, then I do, too. Unfortunately, I can't very well act on this information to any large degree."

"I know," Ed said, sighing. "You can't ask people to do things without explaining why you think they need to be done, and explaining that means outing Al and I for human transmutation. Still, maybe you can at least tell Hawkeye, she knows about the last dream I had, and she was with you when you found us. If nothing else, we can have at least a couple of people ready to act in case these dreams become reality."

"I'll do that, Edward," Mustang responded, nodding. "With the Lieutenant and I in the know, we can coordinate a response, should the worst happen. We won't be caught entirely by surprise if this prophetic dream of your turns out to be true."

"Thanks, Colonel," Ed said before his stomach let out a roar not unlike that of a tiger. "And, now, I think we should go down to breakfast before my stomach tries to kill me!"

"That would be most unfortunate," Mustang remarked in an amused tone.

At the entrance to the mess hall, Havoc was standing still as a board, spent cigarette dangling from his lips.

"I've never seen someone enjoy mess hall food so much in my life," he said in a detached voice as Mustang, Ed, and Al stopped beside him.

In front of them was a very strange scene. Many soldiers were staring at Eren, who was quite blatantly downing what had been, at one time, a very heavily-laden plate loaded to the gills with sausage, eggs, and enough biscuits to feed a small village. Al laughed, they'd finally found someone who could rival his brother's own ravenous appetite.

"A man after my own heart," Ed said lightly as he walked in. "I'm starving!"

"Eren," Mikasa said quietly, placing a hand on his elbow as he chugged a glass of water. "Slow down, you're going to end up vomiting if you keep eating at this rate."

"She's not wrong, Yeager," Captain Levi said, his voice breaking with slight amusement. "Besides, you're being rude, we're these people's guests, and you're acting like an untrained beast."

"Hey," Ed said, sitting down with a heaping pile of food. "When you're hungry, you're hungry!"

"On second thought," Levi said, quirking an eyebrow as Ed fell upon his food like a starving wolf. "You might actually fit in here, Yeager."

"I'm glad to see you're eating well, Edward Elric," Major Armstrong said, sitting between the Fullmetal and Flame Alchemists. "A hearty diet is important to growing body."

"You're assuming Fullmetal is going to get any bigger, Major," Mustang added. "He might be able to eat a horse whole, but if he doesn't drink his milk, he's going to stay a scrawny midget for the rest of his life."

"Who the hell are you calling short?!" Ed said angrily. "You're lucky I sill have bacon left, or I'd hit you for that!"

"Hitting a superior officer?" Mustang replied, laughing. "In the middle of Eastern HQ's mess hall with literally dozens of witnesses? Are you just _dying_ to be court-martialed?"

"They couldn't court-martial me without risking civil war and you know it, Colonel Jackass," Ed rejoined. "And, besides, you know I can't stand milk! It tastes like cold vomit, its revolting! And," he continued, noticing the gleam in Mustang's eye. "Don't get started on that 'calcium and vitamin D' crap, because I can get that from a dozen other things that don't taste like shit and you know it!"

Mustang laughed as he ate his breakfast. It was good having a fight with Edward over his height and dietary habits again. For these brief moments, it was almost like before all Hell broke loose in Liore. Ed's fuse was as short as ever, Al was trying in vain to calm his brother, and onlookers were amazed that the Fullmetal Alchemist was threatening to hit a superior officer. Even with all the boy's flaws, Roy Mustang was certain that he could count Edward Elric as one of his friends. Perhaps not a close confidant like Hawkeye or Havoc, but someone he could definitely count on in dire straits. Ed had a good heart, and Mustang knew it and what he didn't understand about the world, he made up for in his understanding of almost literally anything else. A phenomenal mind like his, combined with the equal gifts of his younger brother, was one of a kind and having the young man as a friend, especially with his new-found status as a hero amongst the refugees of Liore and even many of the men of Eastern HQ who'd heard of he and his brother's courage in the face of mind-numbing horror, would be invaluable in Mustang's ambition to ascend to the level of Fuhrer. Speaking of which, the train from East City would be leaving in about four hours. As the group gathered their things and made their way, by car, to the station, Mustang thought on what he'd say to the Fuhrer. Obviously, intel had to be communicated, and hiding things could spell disaster further down the line. He might not implicitly trust the Fuhrer, the man was far too kindly to _not_ be up to something, but Amestris was in a state of emergency, and anything but strict honesty with regards to vital intelligence could result in hundreds, possibly thousands of deaths. Indeed, now would be the time where the fate of two worlds would be decided, where they could either seal off the portal and save their own hides, leaving Captain Levi and his world to fend for themselves, or aid the people who had been so crucial to their victories and eliminate the threat once and for all, securing allies and potential trade deals that would be indispensable in the future.

 **Author's Notes**

Well, that took a while. I'm awful sorry bout that, but early May hit me with a _lot_ for finals and I really needed to hunker down and get that done. Thankfully, I was fully successful and passed all my classes! I've got a somewhat decreased course load, this summer (two classes, but they're condensed) so with any luck, that should translate to more time to write the things! Without further ado, let's answer some reviews!

 **Drgyen** : You're probably right, but you've also got to take into account that their minds have been elsewhere for some time. That is, as you might have noticed here, starting to change, and Eren's titan abilities are starting to freak Ed the hell out as they should. As for Pixis revealing Eren's titan shifting powers, dude literally screamed it at an entire army, it is _not_ a secret, and he _knows_ that. Either they were going to learn it from him, or likely learn it from hearsay, so Pixis decided it was best to get it straight from a commanding officer. Also, as Hange alluded, it was partially a test on Pixis' part, and in more ways than one.

 **Bright Eyes Illusionist** : _Nobody_ is sleeping well, especially the night covered here. I mean, we're not talking normal horrors of war here, which even in the best of cases can leave you a psychologically scarred mess for the rest of your life, but something straight out of a horror story, something so terrifying on such a fundamental, basic level that it shakes one to their very core. Eren really is almost a worst-case scenario: he's a starry-eyed psychopath who derives pleasure from killing titans. Not only that, but he's killed before _and showed no remorse_. Eren is one of the most frightening anime protagonists I've ever seen in my life. Awesome, but utterly terrifying.

 **The Richmaster** : Thankee! Also, aye, Al will likely have more POV as time goes on, especially since his is so unique. I mean, he can't eat, he can't sleep, he's completely insensate aside from hearing, the only thing he can experience are emotions. Al's life is an existential horrorshow, and I really want to see what I can do with that, in the future. Especially with some of the... _plans_ I've got for this here story.

 **Twilightnite13** : Not yet. The Amestrians are throwing around _white phosphorous_ and high-explosive shells. Imagine a cloud that can literally light you on fire, and you've got a ballpark of what that shit's like _and_ why its so effective against soft titan flesh...and also why using it in actual war would likely end with you being charged with war crimes. Eren would be burnt to cinders, then blown to pieces. He's a gleeful psychotic, but he's not suicidal. But, don't worry, he _will_ transform, he just needs an opportunity where there's not deadly clouds of fire, high-explosive ordinance, and toxic fumes all over the place.

Well that's bout it for this chapter! I really wanna thank you guys for sticking with this for so long and for...being at least a _little_ forgiving of some of the flaws. I really am trying to get better, both in terms of speed and quality, but it takes time and practice, which is one of the reasons I'm writing these things. I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Eleven of _The Greater Evil_ , To Central Command! Take care!


	11. To Central Command

**The Greater Evil**

Chapter Eleven: To Central Command

Eren, Mikasa, and Armin stood at the window of the train car, transfixed and completely motionless as they had been for the past two and a half hours. Ed raised an eyebrow, but inside he understood. If what they'd said was true, none of them had ever been outside their Walls before. Despite the admitted strangeness regarding the link between their worlds, as one could theoretically argue that they were, indeed, still _technically_ behind Wall Maria, it was still the first they'd ever seen of deserts and steppes, much less trains and Amestris' definition of civilization.

"Like kids in a candy store," Captain Levi observed.

"You've got to admit, Captain," Hange replied. "All this _is_ pretty amazing. Even what we've seen outside the Walls doesn't compare to even half of what we've seen here. I'll admit, I was expecting these trains to be a lot less comfortable than they are."

"Its one of the advantages of being summoned by the Fuhrer himself," Mustang said, not even looking up from his newspaper. "Private military train cars are easily the most comfortable way to travel. Usually, they're reserved for high-ranking members of the State Military like Generals."

"This is probably the only time I'll ever get to be in one," Havoc remarked sourly. "Can't have the higher-ups mingling with us measly foot soldiers, after all."

"I was under the impression that your leadership was more," Levi paused a moment, choosing his next words carefully. "Personally inclined."

"Don't let appearances fool you," Havoc responded, lighting a cigarette. "Generals Grumman and Armstrong are exceptions, not the norm. Most of the Generals I've heard about barely interact with anyone below the rank of Colonel, and probably wouldn't even speak to someone of _my_ rank."

"I wish I could disagree with you, Havoc," Colonel Mustang said with a sigh. "But, I've heard much the same. I'm not one to rag on my superiors, but some of the gentlemen I've seen with General's insignia are little more than jumped-up bureaucrats with little to no actual combat experience or leadership ability. Most of that is handled by their subordinates, usually us Colonels."

"It sounds like you suffer from much the same problem as us," Levi commented, an odd mixture of light humour and a hint of camaraderie in his voice. "Not to...disparage the work Commander Pixis puts into making the southern territories' Garrison Regiment respectable, but there are others of his rank, both in his regiment as well as the Military Police that are little more than seat-warmers."

"Nothing of your own regiment?" Mustang said with a laugh and a conspiratorial wink.

"The Scouts are different," Levi answered, unperturbed. "We're a far smaller regiment with only one leader, Commander Erwin. That is partly due to our high mortality rate and the more mobile nature of our operations."

"You know," Havoc began, tilting his head. "What _do_ you guys do, over there? I don't think we ever got a clear answer on that."

"The Scout Regiment's main job," Captain Levi responded almost automatically. "Is to scout areas outside the Walls in an effort to better understand the true nature of the titans and to aid humanity's ongoing war with the menace."

"So, more of an information gathering auxiliary force than a full military command, I take it?" Mustang inquired.

"Oh," Hange piped up, peering over to the group from the next seat over. "Don't let Captain Levi's rather dry description fool you, each of us is more than capable of handling ourselves in combat. We might not have the same level of technology that you do, but each and every one of us is battle-tested."

"Commander Erwin," Captain Levi began, glancing aside at the Squad Leader. "Would probably prefer that we get more recruits than we do, but keeping our numbers comparatively small makes operating quickly a more achievable goal than it is for the Garrison Regiment or the MP's."

"You know," Havoc began, putting out the dwindling remains of his cigarette out in the tray. "For all you guys' advancements with your gear, I'm honestly surprised you haven't moved beyond horses and carriages. Of course, I don't really know what kind of resources you guys have, so maybe cars are out of the question, but it just seems odd to me that I never saw a single steam engine or anything, that I can recall."

"It is indeed most curious," Hange replied, turning her attention once more to the conversation going on behind her. "I had Edward explain to me how this...steam locomotive works, and its astonishingly simple. Even with regular old firewood, something like this could move people and supplies a lot more efficiently than we can with just horses. That nobody in our world thought to design such an amazing thing is, quite frankly, more than a little strange."

Colonel Mustang nodded in curious affirmation as he looked out the window of the train car, taking in the view. Rolling hills like this...one could almost be forgiven for thinking the country was at peace, that they hadn't been fighting man-eating giants that defy all logic, that there wasn't a seemingly stable portal bridging two very different worlds together. Indeed, were it not for the symbol of the Amestrian State Military emblazoned on the cars, a casual observer would think that these were just a privileged, but small group of friends, heading towards the heartlands of Amestris on vacation. Far away from the front lines, from what defenses were no doubt cropping up as they traveled, slowly pinning the titans against the ruins of Xerxes and the vast desert between Amestris and Xing, Colonel Mustang let out a sigh, one from the very pit of his being. Out here, he could truly relax for a while, relatively free from the threat of titan incursion, certainly moreso than he was back east. The Flame Alchemist didn't know what the Fuhrer had in store for them, but he knew that he, as well as his companions, should savour every last second of this trip before they arrived at Central Command, the very heart of Amestris' State Military operations. On the upside, he'd get to see Hughes again. His best friend's incessant chattering about his daughter was as annoying as it was endearing, and he'd sorely missed it. Maybe they'd have time to stop by and chat for a little bit before heading out to whatever assignment the Fuhrer ended up giving them.

If Al were in his old body, he'd be smiling. Just an hour after they'd boarded the train, shortly after a very animated conversation with Hange, Ed was fast asleep in his seat, snoring lightly, a peaceful look on his face. It didn't take an alchemist to see that Ed was exhausted both physically and emotionally, and any chance his brother could take to rest was one Al cherished, even if he couldn't join him. There were times he cursed his hollow, metal body. He couldn't smell or taste or feel...somehow, he could both see and hear, and the less he thought about that, the better. However, even he had to admit his body had some distinct advantages. He didn't need rest or food, he could survive climates that would kill most people in short order, he was far more resilient than others. Thinking, there was a question Al had that had popped into his mind before, but he never got around to asking.

"Hey, Armin," Al said, knowing nothing short of a bomb going off could wake Ed from his slumber.

"Huh?" Armin replied, turning towards Al, eyes wide. "Oh! Al! What's up?"

"You guys say that titans only go after humans, right?" Al began slowly.

"Yeah," Armin responded with a nod. "From what we've seen, they completely ignore animals and other forms of life."

"How would a titan respond to another form of intelligent life," Al said carefully. "One that's of human intelligence, but not necessarily in human form. Like, how would a titan respond to a cat if it could talk and reason like a human?"

"I don't know," Armin answered slowly, narrowing his eyes in thought. "We don't have anything like that in our world, so I couldn't really tell you. Why do you ask?"

"Well," Al replied, finally realizing a way to phrase his question that didn't out the fact he was a soul bonded to steel. "Alchemists can create things called chimeras. They're...considered abominations by most normal practitioners, but some people have made chimeras that can think and reason like people, to a limited degree. I was wondering if a titan would ignore something like that because its not technically human."

"I don't know," Armin said, scratching his chin. "Theoretically, the titan _should_ ignore a chimera, or any other non-human creature, no matter how intelligent. But, for all our knowledge, we still know very little about how titans operate or even _why_ they eat humans. I'm not sure even the Squad Leader could give you a definite answer to that one."

"I see," Al responded, nodding. "Thanks, Armin."

"Any time."

It was a very good thing his face was made of rigid, fixed metal. Gears were grinding away in his head so loudly that Al was surprised the others couldn't hear them. Titans only went after humans, but it didn't seem to care about their intelligence, perhaps even their souls. If that were true, then Al's unique situation could prove quite useful, assuming a titan didn't crush him or something. If they would ignore him completely, then he could easily slip past the veritable wall of giants and head straight for Eren's basement, provided he had a map. It would mean not risking the lives of others, and if he had a car, and knew how to drive it, he could even do it fairly quickly. Mulling it over, Al found one glaring flaw in his plan: he'd have to reveal what he was to others. He knew that Colonel Mustang and Hawkeye knew, but the only other person who'd been privy to his condition, one Shou Tucker, was long since dead, and Al knew that his rather unique condition would be a point of...interest amongst the military brass, who would likely want to metaphorically dissect him to discover how he operates. What's worse, they could imprison his brother for performing alchemy on his soul, to say nothing of what they'd do if they figured out what they did with their mother. Still, Al knew not to discount the possibility completely. If nothing else, it could prove useful.

The hours passed by fairly uneventfully in the train car. Eren, Mikasa, and Armin remained transfixed by the Amestrian landscape, Ed was fast asleep, Hawkeye was cleaning her rifle as Hange watched in fascination, and Colonel Mustang and Havoc were teaching Levi the intricacies of poker, a game at which the unflappable Captain excelled very quickly, as his bluffs were almost impossible to tell.

"Whoa," Eren said in awe as they finally were in visual range of their destination. "Is that Central?"

"Mhm," Al answered, nodding. "The largest city in Amestris, by a very wide margin."

"I must say," Captain Levi began, quirking an eyebrow. "I am rather impressed, as well. The city's far larger than I expected."

"Central _is_ the very first city of Amestris," Colonel Mustang noted. "Way back when the country was less than half its current size. It serves not only as the capital of the country, but also as the seat of military power, as well as a major player in the country's economy."

"Reminds me of when I first came here on leave," Havoc added, stretching his arms. "I thought I'd entered an entirely different world. The city was more massive than any other I'd ever seen, I spent most of the week I had just wandering the place."

"You mean you weren't born here, Second Lieutenant?" Hange inquired in a chipper voice.

"Oh no," Havoc replied with a laugh. "I was born way in the south in Warringstown, near the border with Aerugo. We might have had a decent main street, there, but nothing that far south compares to what Central has to offer."

"Yep," Mustang began fondly. "Havoc here is our resident country boy."

"You say that almost as if its a bad thing, Colonel," Havoc shot back with a smile, taking some of the bite out of his words.

"Not at all," Mustang responded with a wave of his hand. "Hell, your way with finding simple solutions to our problems has saved my ass a number of times."

"I believe the train is slowing down," Captain Levi observed as their view began to fill with a more intimate view of the city.

"We should be hitting the station any minute, now," Mustang stated simply before turning to Al. "Hey, Alphonse. Better wake up Fullmetal and get some coffee in him. We don't want him groggy in front of the Fuhrer."

"No need," Ed said, yawning. "I'm awake, Colonel. Though, I think I will get myself a cup before we disembark."

With that Ed got up, a bit slowly at first. As comfortable as the seats were, they were still train seats and his body was more than a little stiff from his nap. At least he hadn't had any more weird dreams. As he walked to the back of the car and poured himself a cup of coffee from the metal carafe on the counter, Ed tried to remember if he'd dreamed at all. A simple transmutation later, and the coffee was perfect drinking temperature, and he savoured the first, long sip he took from the cup. He had no idea how people could stand milk in their coffee; the one time he'd tried it, at Granny Pinako's insistence, it was the most wretched thing he'd ever tasted. Sugar wasn't much of an addition, either, and Ed had become fond of the drink itself, preferring to have it straight and black. The warmth spread throughout his tired body and woke him up. As he thought, he couldn't come across a single dream he'd had the entire time he'd slept. It was a rare thing, for him to not have nightmares. Even before the titans, Ed's sleep had rarely been so peaceful and, more than once, he'd had to substitute quantity for quality. Finishing the cup and placing it back on the counter to be cleaned by the staff, Ed slowly walked back to where his brother was sitting, feeling almost hyperactive with the energy even a small amount of actual sleep had given him.

"Did you sleep well, brother?" Al asked as he sat down.

"Oddly, yeah," Ed replied after a deep breath. "I usually don't sleep well on trains, but this time, I couldn't tell you about a single dream I had; if I had any, I don't remember them. Honestly, though, I don't really mind. I feel a hell of a lot better than I was when we left."

"That's certainly good to hear, Edward Elric," Ed heard Armstrong say fondly as he walked by. "A growing boy such as yourself needs all the good rest he can get, and it is heartening to see you well, my young friend."

"Its nice to see you, too, Major Armstrong," Ed replied kindly.

Major Armstrong nodded with a faint smile, just barely visible behind his bushy mustache, and stalked off towards the coffee, undoubtedly wishing to pick himself up a little, as well, before their meeting with the Fuhrer.

"Man," Ed said quietly to his brother. "Is it just me, or is it weird seeing Major Armstrong act so...different?"

"I don't think Major Armstrong has slept well since Emell," Al replied in a whisper. "I remember when we were back in Eren's world, resting before we'd met the Survey Corps members. I...I remember him crying in his sleep, begging people to forgive him."

"I think we need to do something nice for him, when we get the chance," Ed said after a moment. "Hell, I think we need to do something nice for all of Mustang's people. If it weren't for them, we'd still be fighting the titans blind."

"Maybe, once this has all settled down," Al said, perking up a little. "We can take a vacation together somewhere nice and relax. Maybe out west, somewhere."

"I don't think I've ever been to West City before," Ed replied with a small smile. "And, I think they might appreciate the thought, at the very least. I hate delaying our quest for the Philosopher's Stone, but honestly, once the dust's settled, I think we're all due for some much-needed R&R."

"You said it, brother," Al replied with a sincere, deep nod.

As the train gently slowed to its final halt, the visitors from the Walls were all startled by the loud hiss of the steam engine and the accompanying blowing of the whistle announcing their arrival. Gathering up their last few things, the group went to the exit as one and disembarked, Colonel Mustang taking the lead as the senior officer. As Eren, Mikasa, and Armin stared around, mouths agape at the bustling station, a group of soldiers led by a tall, gruff-looking man with short-cropped, hair the colour of sand at night approached the group.

"General Hakuro," Colonel Mustang called out as the Amestrian soldiers amongst them sketched a salute. "I'm surprised to see you in Central, sir. I take it you are to be our escort to Central Command?"

"Indeed, I am, Colonel Mustang," General Hakuro said, nodding. "If you will, we have cars waiting to take you and your guests to see the Fuhrer."

"Lead the way, sir," Mustang responded with a short bow.

"I'm surprised to see the train station so busy," Al remarked, looking around him. "With the state of emergency being declared, you'd figure travel would be locked down tight."

"It is," one of the soldiers escorting the answered. "The Fuhrer's contracted several civilian logistics companies to help get supplies to the front as quickly and efficiently as possible. Some of the trains you see are on lease from one private company or another."

"Your military works with astounding speed," Captain Levi observed, a barely visible narrowing to his eyes as they approached the cars waiting just outside the station. "The titans haven't been in your world for very long, I'm surprised to see how quickly you've coordinated your responses."

"You'll see how we got all that done, soon enough," the soldier replied as he opened the door to one of the cars, whispering to the visitors getting into his car. "Central Command looks like a kicked-over anthill; I doubt most of the comm officers have gotten more than an hours' sleep between them since this whole thing began."

Captain Levi raised an eyebrow at the admission as he and his group were herded, gently and politely, into one car while the Amestrians went into the one in front of them. It was a little cramped, he noted, even after they'd stored their gear in the car's oddly ample trunk. Each of the cadets had chosen a window seat, leaving Captain Levi and the Squad Leader sandwiched somewhat awkwardly between a fascinated Eren Yeager and an almost euphoric Armin Arlert. Levi gave a despairing look to the only other adult amongst them, and her smile and shrug did little to calm his nerves or relieve his annoyance. He did admit, to himself at any rate, that Central was a rather impressive city. The streets were far wider than the ones to which he'd grown accustomed, and the numerous shops he could make out were lit with an almost garish light, displaying their wares behind their windows like a proud parent with their children. Captain Levi snorted to himself, some things truly never change.

"The Fuhrer will be wanting to talk to you lot, first," General Hakuro told Colonel Mustang as he drove towards Central Command. "Alone."

"Understood," Colonel Mustang replied with a nod and a direct look at the General.

Inside, Mustang knew almost exactly what the Fuhrer had in mind: he would want to talk about his actions during and after the Battle of Emell. Likely, Fuhrer Bradley was mostly interested in their version of events, since whatever tales they no doubt received had grown exaggerated from a mixture of terror and simple human nature. There was also the matter of their...trip. It wasn't exactly cleared with command, and considering they'd been missing, assumed dead, until they showed up in East City, it was likely that the Fuhrer wanted to ensure that no desertion had taken place. The more Mustang rolled it over in his head, the more it made sense, in a way. He was almost certain the Fuhrer wouldn't see his actions in that light, but there were facts that needed conveying, facts only he and his group were likely to know. Colonel Mustang sighed inwardly, realizing that a court martial, or at the very least some form of disciplinary action, was unlikely; not just for himself, but most especially for those under his command. After all, they _were_ following _his_ orders.

The few minutes it took to get to Central Command were quiet and blissfully uneventful. As they walked into Central Command itself it was, however, a much different story. Mustang quirked an eyebrow at the scene: while Central Command was always busy, the level of activity here was bordering on madness. Privates were scurrying about, some at a dead sprint, carrying sheaves of paper. Colonel Mustang could, as they made their way through the complex to the Fuhrer's office, just make out snippets of conversation regarding troop deployments to Risslett and Hamp, as well as talk of supply convoys, both diesel transport and trains, heading all along the eastern edge of the country, bringing in fresh ammo, food, troops, as well as State Alchemists, conscripts, and massive amounts of resources mostly consisting of concrete and steel. It began to make sense, now, how the defensive perimeter had cropped up so quickly: the Fuhrer was quite clearly sparing absolutely no expense in penning the titans in. Mustang smiled lightly, this was going to cause the accountants migraines for _generations_. Given the number of times they'd "misplaced" his paycheck, or occasionally sent it to Hughes by mistake, Mustang felt little sympathy for them.

"I'm afraid our guests will have to wait outside for a moment," General Hakuro said firmly as they reached the door to the Fuhrer's office. "His Excellency has requested the presence of _our_ people for a private discussion. Someone should be along shortly to ensure that you are taken care of in the meantime. Ah," Hakuro sighed, seeing a face in the thinning crowd walking up towards them. "Speaking of which, here he is, now."

"Hey, Roy!" Mustang heard in the unmistakably chipper voice of none other than Maes Hughes. "Its good to see you alive and well!"

"Likewise, Hughes," Mustang said as he shook his friend's hand, something he'd feared he'd never be able to do again. "I'd love to stay and chat, but its best to not keep the Fuhrer waiting any longer than necessary."

"You won't hear any arguments from me," Hughes replied in his ever-friendly tone as he looked over the visitors. "I take it these five are my charges?"

"Indeed, they are," Mustang responded, barely able to hide his growing smile. "Maes Hughes, allow me to introduce you to Captain Levi, Squad Leader Hange Zoe, and Cadets Armin Arlert, Mikasa Ackerman, and Eren Yeager."

"Its a pleasure to meet you all!" Hughes said, shaking Zoe's outstretched hand. "Don't worry, Roy, I'll keep our guests from getting too bored. I'll be back in about...does an hour sound right to you, General Hakuro?"

"It does," General Hakuro said, nodding. "Make it so."

"Aye aye, sir!" Hughes replied, sketching a somewhat more enthusiastic salute than most soldiers. "If you'll follow me, ladies and gentlemen, I'll show you lovely Central Command!"

"He's never in a bad mood, is he?" Ed observed wryly.

"That's just how Hughes is," Mustang answered fondly. "Always smiling and making sure to bring everyone up as best he can."

"I have to admit," Ed began as they walked into the Fuhrer's office. "I _did_ miss him, some."

"Aah, Colonel Mustang," Fuhrer Bradley began, standing up from his chair, a friendly, if somewhat distant, smile on his face. "I am glad to hear that you and your group hadn't perished at Emell. Amestris would've lost some of her best and brightest, had that happened."

"Thank you, sir," Colonel Mustang said with a salute. "However, I can't take all the credit. Everyone here contributed to getting us out of there alive."

"Indeed," the Fuhrer said as he sat back down, a move which those in the room copied, taking the seats that had been added to the room, likely for this very occasion. "Colonel Mustang, I have asked to speak to your group first, and away from our guests, because I wish to hear your version of events at Emell. As you might understand, the tale that has been going around has no doubt gotten exaggerated with time and retelling. As your people are some of the survivors of that massacre, any insight you could provide as to your actions would be invaluable."

"Understood, sir," Mustang replied with a firm nod. "I suppose it would help to begin shortly before everything broke down. Colonel Greene and I had coordinated the defensive preparations for the city with time to spare before the titan attack, that night. Despite the appearance of at least one abnormal that leapt over the wall and was summarily destroyed, the fight was proceeding relatively well, all things considered. However, one or more of the alchemists we conscripted failed to take the fuel lines running underneath part of the city into account when building the wall. When a stray bullet hit one of the fuel storage tanks at the depot, it detonated the tank, as well as a great deal of the underground lines, creating a massive breach in the wall...and that's when the titans broke through the perimeter and the general retreat was sounded."

"I understand that Colonel Greene did not make it out of Emell?"

"He did not," Major Armstrong answered solemnly. "I was sent to inspect the explosion and determine if any damage was done to the wall. On the way, I happened across some soldiers who were already retreating into the city. They...they said that Colonel Greene had been killed by the explosion."

"A tragic loss, Johnston was a fine officer," General Hakuro said, hanging his head.

"Indeed," Fuhrer Bradley stated, his face set in deep thought. "Colonel Mustang, why did you and your men not assist in aiding the retreat after sounding it?"

"Honestly, Your Excellency," Colonel Mustang responded with a resigned sigh. "My sounding the retreat was mostly a formality, by that point. Everyone was in full panic, trying to corral them would've just been an exercise in lethal frustration. My group and I decided to try and make the retreat at least count for _something_ , and that's when we made our trip to Liore, and through the portal, where we found our new friends."

For a moment, the Fuhrer sat there, quietly. Mustang began to sweat a little, but the Fuhrer's look wasn't one of accusation or anger, more one of calculation, as if he were weighing multiple versions of the story he'd no doubt gotten.

"I see," Fuhrer Bradley said, straightening up. "That lines up with the general overview of events, as we understand them. Don't worry, Colonel," he added with a laugh. "You and your men aren't going to receive any disciplinary sanctions for what you did. In fact, I am entering an official commendation in each of your service records for going above and beyond the call of duty in securing vital intelligence that has led to us finally being able to combat the titans."

"T-thank you, sir!" Mustang blurted out, unable to stop himself in his complete surprise.

"Now, then, Colonel Mustang," Fuhrer Bradley continued, smiling more genuinely, this time. "What can you tell us about this world you went to? We've received some reports, but I'd rather hear it from the horse's mouth, as it were."

"Technologically," Mustang began, getting straight to business. "They're behind us in a lot of ways. They don't even have locomotives or guns like we do. The only area in which they're ahead is with their omni-directional mobility gear, which allows them to use a pair of grappling hooks and some kind of propellant to maneuver across populated areas with relative ease. They use a set of sharp, hard, steel blades to cut away a titan's weak spot and kill it."

"They engage the things in close quarters combat?" Fuhrer Bradley said, almost shocked. "I imagine their mortality rate must be extremely high, even with their mobility."

"I don't have any actual figures," Mustang replied, nodding. "But, Captain Levi has hinted that such is indeed the case. As far as land is concerned, their territory seems to be divided into three large sections, each couched behind one or more concentric walls. Estimates suggest that the area inside the furthest wall, Wall Maria, is many times that of Amestris. However, the area between Walls Rose and Maria were lost to the titans several years before our arrival. The portal comes out in that area, just a few kilometers from the city of Trost behind Wall Rose."

"I suppose that would explain why the titans are coming through, then," Fuhrer Bradley stated, looking down at his desk. "Colonel Mustang, have you or any of your group entered into any kind of trade agreement or military pacts with these people?"

"No sir," Mustang responded, shaking his head. "Any agreements we've made were strictly unofficial. It isn't my place to make agreements on behalf of the entire country."

"Good, thank you. What of the land around the portal?"

"Its mostly grassland," Colonel Mustang continued after a deep breath. "The most challenging terrain is some gently rolling hills and a dirt road leading out of Trost district. Honestly, sir, securing the area around the portal wouldn't be terribly difficult, with enough men to hold the perimeter until construction is complete."

"Duly noted, Colonel. Is there anything else you care to report?"

"There is, sir," Colonel Mustang replied with a grave nod. "Sir, the reason for the loss of the area between Walls Maria and Rose, as well as the near-loss of Trost, was due to a pair of unusual titans known only as the Colossal and the Armoured Titans. From what we've managed to gather, these two display a level of intelligence far beyond that of a normal titan, almost bordering on human. During the attack on Trost, as we understand it, the Colossal Titan made a point of destroying the cannon emplacements atop the wall before it disappeared."

"Disappeared?" Fuhrer Bradley asked, concerned.

"Yes sir," Mustang said, narrowing his eyes. "The Colossal and Armoured Titans seem to possess the ability to appear and disappear at will. Sir, it is my belief that these two titans are likely the greatest threat to any defensive measures we might create. However, the Colossal was never mentioned as being in possession of notable defenses other than its sheer size. Of the two, I would rate the Armoured Titan as the greatest threat, due to its smaller size, greater agility, and superior defensive capabilities."

"This is indeed most concerning," Fuhrer Bradley said, placing his chin in his hands. "However, if they are the only two threats coming from the titans' side, I think we should count ourselves lucky. General Hakuro," he continued, turning towards the quiet man sitting in the corner. "Please have our guests brought in, I believe I have everything we need, now."

"Right away, sir," General Hakuro said as he got up, saluted the Fuhrer, and left the office.

It only took a few minutes for the General to return with the group, led by Maes Hughes. Said minutes passed by, in the office, quietly, with an air of curiosity, everyone wondering exactly what the Fuhrer was planning behind that unreadable face of his.

"As requested, Your Excellency," General Hakuro said as the group entered the room.

"Your Excellency," Colonel Mustang began as he got up from his chair. "Allow me to introduce to you Captain Levi, Squad Leader Hange Zoe, and Cadets Mikasa Ackerman, Eren Yeager, and Armin Arlert."

"Its a pleasure to meet you all," the Fuhrer said with a smile as he motioned them to sit in the remaining chairs. "Please, let's be seated so we can begin."

"Your Excellency," Captain Levi began, careful to mimic the appellation he'd heard the others using. "I would like to take a moment to thank you for the hospitality you've shown my people and I, as it is as uncommon as it is both welcome and greatly appreciated."

"You're most welcome," Fuhrer Bradley said with a smile and a nod. "Captain Levi, I am assuming that you are the leader among your group. Is that correct?"

"I was designated such by Commander Erwin, yes. Why do you ask?"

"I'm going to cut right to the chase, if you don't mind," the Fuhrer said, his tone more direct. "Are you allowed to negotiate deals between your people and mine?"

"I'm...afraid I'm going to have to disappoint you, Your Excellency," Captain Levi said after a moment's thought. "The only one I know of that would at all have anywhere near that kind of power would be my Commander, Erwin Smith. Even then, it would likely require the presence of at least one other Commander from another regiment for anything official to take place."

"I see," Fuhrer Bradley said, sighing. "I had guessed as much. Well, then, I suppose that settles matters. Colonel Mustang?"

"Yes sir?"

"I apologize, but I must impose upon your men once more," Fuhrer Bradley said as he got up. "As you and yours are the ones among us most familiar with the world from which Captain Levi and his subordinates come, I am hereby requesting you to act as part of my escort detail."

"S-sir?" Mustang asked, at a complete loss for words.

"If I cannot negotiate with Captain Levi, here," Fuhrer Bradley began with an amused chuckle. "It stands to reason that a representative delegation should be sent to those who have such authority. Seeing as I am the Fuhrer of Amestris, I would be the obvious choice. General Hakuro will accompany me, as well as a detachment of his men. We will travel with Captain Levi and his group back through the portal and officially discuss negotiating some form of deal between our peoples so that we may work together to help fight the titan incursion. After all, two heads _are_ better than one, wouldn't you agree?"

"I do, sir, but with all due respect," Colonel Mustang stammered out, still baffled by the decision that had been made. "We'd be marching you right into enemy territory. We don't know how safe the area around the portal is or what might be waiting for us on the other side. Meaning no disrespect, sir, but it just seems like an incredible risk."

"Much like you did, Colonel Mustang?" Fuhrer Bradley retorted, his tone friendly as ever. "I suppose you could say I'm following the sterling example of one of my own subordinates. Besides, you know my service record as well as anyone, Colonel; you know that I am no stranger to the front lines."

"Of course, sir," Mustang responded, bowing deeply. "I apologize if I was out of turn."

"No harm done," Fuhrer Bradley replied with a wave of the hand. "You're simply concerned for my well-being, something which is completely understandable, all things considered. General Hakuro," he continued, turning to the man that had been sitting quietly during this exchange. "How soon can you have your men ready and a convoy formed to take us to Liore and through the portal?"

"We'll have everything ready before dinner, sir," General Hakuro replied, saluting.

"Very well, see that it is done."

"Yes, sir!" General Hakuro barked before promptly leaving the room.

"Now then," Fuhrer Bradley said, turning towards Levi. "Captain Levi, if you wouldn't mind, I would like you to fill me in on some of the details of your world. I have heard reports that your people have suffered massive losses to the titans."

"In as many words, yes, Your Excellency," Captain Levi responded seriously. "When we lost Wall Maria, nearly a fifth of the population, some two hundred and fifty thousand people, went with it. Mortality rates during titan combat are usually at least twenty to twenty-five percent."

"Those are quite staggering losses, Captain," the Fuhrer stated simply. "That would leave your populace at just around one million, correct?"

"Correct, sir."

"For such a large area, your population seems rather low," Fuhrer Bradley continued, deep in thought. "Though, I suppose that gives us a good amount of breathing room, as well. Unless the titans number in the tens or even hundreds of millions, I doubt they'd be densely-packed enough to prevent us from establishing supply lines and defensive fortifications."

"Your Excellency," Captain Levi began, his curiosity piqued. "What are you getting at, if you don't mind me asking?"

"The thrust of the matter is this," Fuhrer Bradley began, straightening slightly. "If we are to cooperate with your people in the destruction of the titans, we need a way to get troops and supplies to and from our territories with relative safety and ease. On our side, the issue is rather simple: using the remains of Liore, we could create a fortification strong enough to resist the titans. Once we encircle them with the outer fortifications we're already building, we can easily cull their numbers to nothing. However, in your world, its another matter, entirely. The most logical choice would be to build a large outpost around the portal in your world, but to do that, we need supplies, especially building materials. Once that's complete, we can build a set of defensive walls around our supply route into your territory, as well as supplying a safe route from which to sortie into titan territory."

"That's...a very ambitious plan, Your Excellency," Captain Levi said, taken aback at how much the man had planned out ahead of time. "Given that you'd be helping us retake land lost to the titans and helping us defend ourselves more effectively against them, I can't really see anyone in their right minds being against this."

"Excellent," Fuhrer Bradley said, getting up from his desk. "Then, ladies and gentlemen, I believe we are adjourned for the time being. I ask that you stay within Central Command until such time as preparations are complete and we can undertake our journey. Until then, feel free to avail yourselves to whatever you may want in our mess hall for lunch. All we ask is that you forgive us for the rather hectic state we're in, currently. Dismissed."

Deep within the bowels of Central, Father sat atop his throne, listening to the echoes of rumours floating about his creation. Things were moving exactly as he'd planned, thus far. Wrath was positioning himself as an envoy of succor to the people in the new world that had been opened up, and Envy was already in place amongst the unwitting General Hakuro's retinue. Alas, two of his children were largely without work; Lust and Gluttony were getting rather bored, but the presence of the titans was proving to be a bothersome nuisance. However, that wasn't to say that they weren't useful, in their own way. Indeed, they had carved the circle of blood at Liore far better than any civil war could've done, but they lacked sorely in reliability. They were random, mindless creatures, incapable of even basic reasoning and, thus, the ability to follow basic orders...even Sloth, indolent simpleton that he was, could at least follow simple instructions.

There was also the matter of his grand scheme. He had no idea how the portal would affect it, but it could potentially work towards his favour. Everything he knew about alchemy pointed in that direction, but even by his lofty standards, these were exceptional circumstances, to say the least. Father knew that the little humans would probably want to experiment with the portal, to see how it worked and what its limitations, if any outside the obvious, were and he'd consigned them to be the guinea pigs for such things. Better the lower creatures risk themselves in dangerous experiments than someone of his station condescending to look into matters, himself. Envy and Lust could report any findings they gathered, and he knew that he was more than up to the task of interpreting them correctly. After all, his power was absolute.

These monsters were mindless, that much was certain as Scar opened the earth and made it swallow two pursuing giants, who were now scratching, blank stares fixed on their grotesque faces, at the walls of their tomb, trying to reach him. He'd been forced to head far south over the past few days. The Amestrian military seemed to be building at an alarming pace, new checkpoints popped up out of seemingly nowhere, no doubt due to the Devil's science the Amestrians so loved. They were responding with terrifying speed to the new threat facing them. They were outright rejecting the righteous wrath of Ishvala, who had seen fit to wipe them from the world for the havoc they'd wreaked on His people. He'd seen giants ambling towards the fortifications, only to have their necks and shoulders blown to pieces by machine gun fire.

It was odd, the soldiers weren't targeting the head or chest...and Scar had seen them kill more than a few giants, he knew that it was fully intentional. Not that Scar would get close enough to use his power on one of the creatures. The few times he'd been able to rest, he'd been haunted by images of Yoki being picked up and devoured by one of the giants. After all the things he'd seen, after witnessing the near-extermination of his people, why _that_ was the one thing sticking out in his mind was something the Ishvalan had difficulty understanding. Perhaps...maybe it was the mindlessness of it all. State Alchemists, horrors that they were, had minds. They could think, they could feel, they could reason, even if they chose not to use said faculties. These giants, they had none of those things. They were as a force of nature: powerful, but completely bereft of intelligence and passion. They ate, and that was all they seemed to do.

Maybe the giants were a metaphorical punishment for the Amestrians. Their gluttony for power had led them to work the Devil's tools to create Hell on Earth. They had let their appetite for conquest and glory blind them to Ishvala's will, and to all but eradicate His people. As they ate the world with their evil, so would the world eat them in the only way it knew how: cold, dispassionate, never-ending hunger.

Rumours had been circulating around Dublith, reaching the Devil's Nest, of a huge goings on in the east. Initially, Greed had paid little attention to them, probably some war or something, part of his Father's oh-so-grand scheme. But, last night, when he'd heard a state of emergency had been declared, that man-eating giants called "titans" were pouring out of a portal to another world in what were now the ruins of Liore, Greed had begun to listen a little more intently. Especially to that "another world" bit. Not only could it serve as a one-way ticket away from his old man, but who knew what riches lay in wait for one who was both willing and able to plunder them. The idea tempted him greatly, he'd even had a little plan worked out: he and his minions would go in disguised as regular military jack-offs, get to the other side, and quietly disappear for a while before finding some nice, juicy treasure...and maybe some nice, juicy women with nice, ample bosoms, as well. Greed grinned. This state of emergency and the lock-down that'd come about as a consequence could well end up being very useful to him.

"Hey, Martel!" Greed called out across the bar.

"Yeah, boss?" Martel answered somewhat groggily. "What's up?"

"You remember those uniforms you won from those rubes a few weeks back?" Greed asked, his grin growing wider by the second.

"Sure do," Martel replied with a small laugh. "Those guys were _so_ sure that I'd end up losing my top...never once did they think I'd marked the cards. Why do you ask?"

"I wanna go check out that other world," Greed said happily. "I'm bored just sitting around here, and a little adventure, with a the potential to get a little treasure, sounds like just the thing to liven up this dull state of affairs!"

"You got it, boss!" Martel said as she hurried off in search of their comrades and their disguises.

"Oh yeah," Greed said to himself as he ran a comb through his hair, making it lay flat. "This is gonna be fun."

 **Author's Notes**

Awww damn! The train sequence did _not_ want to get written, I swear. But, all in all, I like how things came out. Plans are starting to collide and things are about to get very, _very_ interesting. I couldn't help but bring Greed in, too. He's my favourite and I couldn't keep him out for much longer. Besides, you guys can't tell me that you can't see Greed as a treasure hunter, too. ...Right? … Let's just answer reviews before things get more awkward, hmm?

 **TheWritingGirl23** : First off, thankee! Also, you're quite right. Though somewhat...unofficial, the last chapter (as well as this one, to a degree) kind of mark a turning point in the story. I have more twists and turns in the mix, though. I've taken it upon myself to get a basic outline of the plot going in written form so I can keep track of things in my head. It has been extremely helpful and, while I don't have everything planned, I've got the next few chapters' worth of content in rough sketch form. Also, yeah, I kinda enjoy the analyses, glad the didn't bore folks!

 **Drgyen** : Well damn, you kinda beat me to the punch! I gotta get better with the twists, or I'm gonna be out of a job! Well...not a job, since I'm not getting paid, but you know what I mean! Aye, I too enjoy anime that focus a lot on problem solving and planning: its one of the reasons I enjoy Yu Yu Hakusho, as well as FMA.

 **Bright Eyes Illusionist** : Thankee! Given the things Ed's witnessed, I think Armstrong feels more comfortable truly opening up to him and his brother and sharing with them some of the more deep things he's learned during his time as a soldier. Armstrong's also been faced with near-Lovecraftian horror, and I think that has him evaluating a lot about himself, now, as well as how he treats others. In this specific case, he's resolved to not treat Ed and Al with kid gloves as much as he used to, because he knows what can happen if things like what they've witnessed aren't handled _very_ carefully.

Well, that's about it for this one, folks! I, again, apologize for how long this bugger's taken to get up, but I do hope it was worth the wait! Don't forget the tracker I've got linked to in my profile (if there's an issue with it, lemme know in a review, please!), as it is updated whenever I'm working on a story! With that said, I'll catch you guys later for Chapter Twelve of _The Greater Evil_ , Once More Into The Breach! Take care!


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